Joe L. Webster: Dual Callings of Law and Ministry

In his memoir, Judge Webster shares his life and diverse experience, and the impact of his rich service upon the community, the state and the nation. Joe is a true and outstanding son of Howard University and its motto, “truth and service.” I am delighted to recommend for reading this informative and valuable memoir written by a lawyer, minister and public servant par Excellence. Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. (Retired) U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Maryland, and Executive Director of the Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. Center for Education, Justice and Ethics Judge Joe Webster has given us a history of his compelling life and the lives of his beloved family members. He has recognized the value of writing one’s personal history and has shared with us his memories as a federal judge, a lawyer and a minister. The unique convergence of Joe’s talents, dedication and vision necessary to excel in all three of these callings, provides us with an inspiring story of an African American man who has met and overcome numerous social challenges during recent decades of unprecedented change in civil rights in our country. He strived to do more, to be more—from providing pro bono services for the public good, including to those in need of legal help, to personally inspiring youth through civic education programs in his courtroom, to leading the NC Board of Law Examiners that licenses lawyers in our state. Joe Webster has preserved his heartfelt written histories of the lives of his parents, his wife and children, his trust in God, his respect for law and striving for justice, and his esteem for his friends and mentors. His words show us the importance of sharing our own life’s story with our family, encouraging them to know their family history and the contributions of their family members that have impacted their world. Through his inspiration of others to preserve their family history, Joe has again served a new calling. Linda Mace McGee Retired North Carolina Court of Appeals Chief Judge Excerpt from Foreword: The Joe Webster memoir that follows records a story that is significant on two accounts: (1) because of the era it covers, and (2) because of the man who relates it. The author was born in 1954, some three months before the US Court filed its Brown v. Board of Education opinion. Perhaps providentially, I am writing this Foreword on the seventieth anniversary of that decision. It is, without question, among the most impactful ones in the court’s history, one that resonates profoundly through American life seventy years later. The era of history this narrative treats thus is one of deep and lasting significance. The storyteller has lived through this period. He has been a significant actor in the life and events of a particular place as it, and its people, made their way through this fractious, often treacherous, time. As a youngster he integrated his community’s previously all-white public schools. As an adult he chose the dual professions of law and ministry as vehicles for further social change. With accomplishments at both to his credit, he chose—or, more accurately, was chosen for—the judicial branch of government as avenue for giving all persons their due and striving to fulfill the biblical mandate to let “judgment run down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.” (Amos 5:24). The pervasive influences of family and faith drive the early stages of this narrative. “My parents were hardworking people who relied heavily on their faith in God,” the author relates. They were not educated people, just good people. They cared deeply about their children and strove diligently to make them both educated and good. Willis P. Whichard Associate Justice, Supreme Court of North Carolina 1986-1998
ASIN: 1597152838
VSKU: DBV.1597152838.A
Condition: Acceptable
Author/Artist:Webster, Joe L.
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: This copy has clearly been enjoyed—expect noticeable shelf wear and some minor creases to the cover. Binding is strong, and all pages are legible. May contain previous library markings or stamps.