Quinnipiac University Film About Civil Rights Activist Honored with Telly Award

Quinnipiac University has been named a bronze winner in the 34th Annual Telly Awards for its documentary, “Justice as a Black Woman: The Life and Work of Constance Baker Motley.”

The biographical film tells the story of the New Haven native who was a civil rights activist, state senator, lawyer and judge. Among her accomplishments was successfully arguing 10 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and earning an appointment to the federal bench by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

 “Constance Baker Motley’s tireless work on behalf of justice and equality changed American society forever,” said Michael Calia, producer of the film and director of Quinnipiac’s Ed McMahon Mass Communications Center. “From humble beginnings, she rose to become a champion of all who were victims of discrimination and oppression, fighting to give all Americans the education and opportunities they deserved. This video presentation tells the story of one of the most important figures to emerge in the struggle for civil rights in the middle of the 20th century.”

The film was selected from more than 10,000 entries submitted from around the world.

"Our entire production team felt privileged to work on 'Justice is a Black Woman,’ ” Calia said. “We were pleased to help shed light on the life and career of this extraordinary American, who did so much to promote equality and fairness. It is an honor to be recognized for this work by the Telly Award judges. It’s a source of pride for all of us here at Quinnipiac." 

Lynn Bushnell, vice president for public affairs at Quinnipiac, was the film’s executive producer and Gary Ford was a producer. Alumna Susan Bailey was the film’s writer.

“Although Motley’s actions facilitated the dismantling of Jim Crow and a segregated society, she has remained relatively unknown and invisible in historical accounts of the civil rights movement,” Ford said. “My hope is that the documentary will correct this oversight and that viewers will become educated about – and appreciate – the important contribution Motley made to the success of the civil rights movement and to America.”

The Telly Awards was founded in 1979 to honor outstanding local, regional and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions and online commercials, video and films.

“The Telly Awards has a mission to honor the very best in film and video,” said Linda Day, executive director of the Telly Awards. “Quinnipiac University’s accomplishment illustrates its creativity, skill and dedication to their craft and serves as a testament to great film and video production.”