Charlayne Hunter-Gault (fourth from left), one of the namesakes of the Holmes-Hunter lecture, stands next to Justice Robert Benham (right), the 2020 Holmes-Hunter lecturer. Benham encouraged audience members to take a chance and do what is right even when it opposes the status quo. Photo by Grace Lang
Journalism 1 student Emma Scott muses on Holmes-Hunter lecturer Justice Robert Benham’s accomplishments and how they have been supported by Benham’s rule of always doing what is right and to challenge what is wrong.
Justice Robert Benham, the first and longest-serving African American member of the Supreme Court of Georgia, stood before an audience of family members, teachers and students in the University of Georgia Chapel on Feb. 3, ready to deliver the 2020 Holmes-Hunter Lecture.
Before Benham appeared at the podium, he was praised by a UGA School of Law Benham Scholar and Charlayne Hunter-Gault, one of the lecture’s namesakes and one of the first two African American graduates of UGA, along with the late Dr. Hamilton Holmes.
Just like Hunter-Gault, Benham is a trailblazer in civil rights as the second African American graduate of UGA Law. According to Benham, as a judge, he puts on the armor of the law to slay the dragon of injustice.
Benham has been doing this since he was a child. As an elementary school student, he walked into a Whites only library, took a book off the shelf, signed his name and walked out, all while ignoring the gasps and curses of the library-goers.
Thirty years later, he walked back into that same library to meet the librarian from that day. She said that it was the proudest moment of her life.
Even though the librarian was aware it was against the law to let young Benham borrow a book back then, she knew that giving the little boy a chance to fight back was the right thing to do. In his speech, Benham encouraged the audience to do what is right in order to challenge things that are wrong.
Benham recalled being given many chances like this throughout his life. He advised the audience members to reach out and give someone a chance because that chance — that salvation — can change their life.
So, do what is right. Give others the chance to do so in this political climate that needs many people to challenge the wrong.
