The Woman Before Women

Before women were able to find space, community, and comfort in these fields that men dominated, there had to be the passionate few who opened those doors for them. Judge Yates established her position in these spaces with her family backing her, and in doing so, she became a respected and beloved figure in the legal community and in the social circles associated with this community.

“[T]here's really nothing that you can't do if in your heart you want to do it, if it's something you want to do, and sometimes it may not be in your heart, because you haven't been exposed to anyone that's done that before.” (source)

Judge Yates provides a pathway for women, for black women, to follow along. She demonstrates what can be done both to those that see themselves in her and those that have never seen anyone like her in their profession/field.