Feb. 20, 2024

Three retired judges fielded questions with candor – and appreciation for the support they had received as trailblazing African-American judges in Mecklenburg County courtrooms.

Presenters were District Court Judge T. Michael Todd (1979-1984), former District and Superior Court Judge W. Terry Sherrill (1983-1990), and District and Superior Court Judge Yvonne Mims Evans (1992-2018). Other judges, some retired and some still serving, were in the Belmont Center meeting room or watching online and contributed to the morning’s discussion.

Some questions related to what went on in their courtrooms, or the challenges they faced working with white judges unsupportive of their presence. But far more sought their counsel on issues the Black community faces today. Some were about youth and crime; some were about whether the state court system can play a more impactful role in guiding youth toward healthier decisions. Viewers of the video below will take away from the lengthy discussion a variety of insights.

The room filled regularly with laughter, clapping and an amen or two. But it wasn’t church. Presenters and participants in many cases were longtime friends or high school classmates or lunch buddies or respected colleagues or maybe even lovebirds in times gone by. Young people listening carefully might even glimpse some of the ways a generation born into much poverty and even more racial discrimination built a better world by embracing and supporting each other in a pursuit of a more just and equal-opportunity tomorrow.