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On this episode of Our American Stories, before most American women could vote, Belva Lockwood stepped into a legal world that never intended to make room for her. Born on a small farm in 1830, she pushed her way into the courtroom and became the first woman in the United States permitted to argue before the Supreme Court. Her work reshaped American law and challenged long-standing assumptions about who could stand before the bench.

Along the way, she pressed for equal pay, fought for access to education, and even mounted two presidential campaigns—all while raising her daughter alone after tragedy struck her family. Janine Turner, creator of the musical Just Call Me Belva! and founder of Constituting America, shares the story of a woman who refused to accept the limits her country placed on her.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, before most American women could vote, Belva Lockwood stepped into a legal world that never intended to make room for her. Born on a small farm in 1830, she pushed her way into the courtroom and became the first woman in the United States permitted to argue before the Supreme Court. Her work reshaped American law and challenged long-standing assumptions about who could stand before the bench.
Along the way, she pressed for equal pay, fought for access to education, and even mounted two presidential campaigns&mdash;all while raising her daughter alone after tragedy struck her family. Janine Turner, creator of the musical&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.janineturner.com%2Fbroadway&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7C90e8877e73764a33916708de27b1d923%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638991842305733162%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=r7Y4VD458E1M%2BZ0XG1cj9llVZ0rHlOl63iaPMvNrohA%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">Just Call Me Belva!</a>&nbsp;and founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconstitutingamerica.org%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7C90e8877e73764a33916708de27b1d923%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638991842305753797%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=1CuNOICbU0csMUtDjfCT6wafzceQRSibmhyZlfelph0%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">Constituting America</a>, shares the story of a woman who refused to accept the limits her country placed on her.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories

How Belva Lockwood Broke the Barrier to the Supreme Court Bar

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4d01a22b-0ca6-431a-a428-b39a016c8d80/transcript

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