SACRAMENTO – The Black History Month documentary, “The Time is Now: The Civic Life of Sacramento’s Nathaniel S. Colley” will air at 7:00 p.m., Feb. 20, on KVIE.
The documentary examines the life of Sacramento’s first practicing African American attorney, who spent 50 years shaping the course of American history.
Colley’s pursuit of civil rights and education brought Colley together with the likes of President John F. Kennedy, Gov. Edmund “Pat” Brown, and Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
It was through Colley’s efforts that the court ruled that “mere receipt of federal housing benefits” prohibits racial discrimination in the sale of private housing. He also successfully argued and had the courts require all financial institutions to pay homeowners on impounded and loan trust accounts.
Colley graduated from Yale University’s Law School with honors and later in his career became the first African American member of the California State Board of Education. He also sought to increase the numbers of Blacks in law enforcement, education, and in state government.
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By Antonio R. Harvey
OBSERVER Staff Writer