In my view, I did not get to the federal bench because I was a woman

King consciously steered away from legal claims and instead relied on civil disobedience.

Lack of encouragement never deterred me. I was the kind of person who would not be put down.

I was born and raised in the oldest settled part of the nation and in an environment in which racism was officially mooted.

I never thought I would live long enough to see the legal profession change to the extent it has.

In high school, I discovered myself. I was interested in race relations and the legal profession. I read about Lincoln and that he believed the law to be the most difficult of professions.

Too many whites still see blacks as a group apart.