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SCHS: About the Society — Rosette Detail

Hometowns Memphis Students Study Watson v. City of Memphis

Hometowns participants at the National Civil Rights Museum
Students from Memphis and Jackson-area high schools participated in the Hometowns Memphis program from March 16-20, 2026. Students learned about the federal judiciary through the lens of the local Fourteenth Amendment case Watson v. City of Memphis (1963). During the program, students learned from:
  • 10 Federal and state judges
  • 4 professors from Rhodes College, the University of Memphis, and the University of Memphis Cecil H. Humphreys Law School
  • Former Memphis mayor AC Wharton and Former County Commissioner and Civil Rights lawyer Walter Bailey
  • Multiple Memphis area attorneys
  • Numerous members of the federal courthouse staff
Chief Judge Sheryl Lipman answers questions from Hometowns scholars after a sentencing in her courtroom on Monday
On Monday, Chief Judge Sheryl Lipman invited the students into her courtroom to observe a sentencing, while on Tuesday, students watched initial appearances in Magistrate Judge Charmaine Claxton’s courtroom. The students spent Wednesday morning touring the National Civil Rights Museum. Scholars spent Thursday morning at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys Law School learning from Professor Daniel Kiel in the courtroom where the Watson case was brought before a district judge in 1960. Participant Janani P. commented that her favorite part of the week was “The field trips! I loved exploring the city, and it really allowed me to see the topics we were talking about enacted in real time, and it allowed me to see how the case actively changed the city with my own eyes.”
An overwhelming highlight of the week for all participants was hearing from retired Sixth Circuit Judge Bernice Donald and Rhodes history professor Charles McKinney. Professor McKinney spoke about the impact of the Watson case on Memphis while Judge Donald brought a firsthand account of life both pre- and post-Watson. Judge Donald’s real-life experiences, shown through the stories and photos she shared with students, made the case’s impact even more compelling.
The Society would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to Chief Judge Sheryl Lipman, Chief Magistrate Judge Tu Pham, and the Civics Education and Outreach committees from the Western District of Tennessee and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Special thanks also go to the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law for graciously hosting our scholars on Thursday. Members of the Memphis Chapter of the Federal Bar Association spoke to the students during lunches, and we greatly appreciate their time. Finally, Hometowns Memphis would not have been possible without the tireless work of the Western District of Tennessee’s Civics Outreach personnel, Tracy Wherry and Blair Moore.