Jane Bolin forged ahead on her chosen path despite the doubt and discouragement of those around her who should have been her mentors and supporters. Growing up as the daughter of a Black lawyer in Poughkeepsie, New York, she took an early interest in the profession. “It is easy to imagine how a young, protected child who sees portrayals of brutality is forever scarred and becomes determined to contribute in her own small way to social justice,” Bolin recalled later in her life.
Though many tried to deter her, after finishing her studies at Wellesley College—where she was one of two Black freshmen—she applied to