CHIEF JUSTICE TAKES OATH!
First Black to Serve on State’s Highest Court Makes History Again Friday

 

Colbert Says He’s Humbled As He Considers His Forerunners

Hundreds Of Judges, Lawyers Crowd Chambers

 

By W. ORLANDO PIERCE
Special to the Chronicle

 

The first Black to serve on the Oklahoma Supreme Court made history once again on Friday afternoon as hundreds gathered at the State Capitol to witness his being sworn-in as chief justice.
After taking the oath of office, Chief Justice Tom Colbert spoke as a man humbled by all the pomp and circumstance, and he spoke with noticeable emotion about all of those who he said had made sacrifices to pave the way as forerunners and his role models.
First appointed to Oklahoma’s highest tribunal of justice in 2004, Tom Colbert told the crowd (a sundry audience of dark-suited men and women that must have included practically every other judge and lawyer in the state) that he first wanted to pay homage to his grandfather and to his mother.
He recounted how those two encouraged him to not be deterred by a high school guidance counselor’s declaration that he was not college material.
“That’s why we need role models,” Chief Justice Colbert declared. 
“I was very blessed to have a mother and grandparents,” he continued, “who, even though you were discouraged, promoted and pushed and encouraged you to continue on, knowing that was the only way that you’re going to break the chains of poverty.”
“What concerns me today is that a lot of these young kids out here don’t have grandparents,” he said, “who are in a position to encourage them when they are told something discouraging or when they run into a situation [about which] they don’t feel like they have a way out.”
The large crowd of judges, attorneys, relatives and friends of the new chief justice spilled out of the ceremonial courtroom for the high court and flowed into the hallway and rotunda of the State Capitol.
Within the crowd was former Gov. Brad Henry, who appointed Mr. Colbert to the high court.
“I saw a great person who would be a great justice,” the former governor commented, referring to the newly sworn-in chief justice.  “It wasn’t about making history.  It was about appointing the best person, and he was the best applicant I interviewed.”
Chief Justice Colbert first made history when he became the first Black to be appointed in 2000 to the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals by then-Gov. Frank Keating.
He made history the second time with then-Gov. Henry’s appointment.
This third time occurred Friday.
Retired Oklahoma County District Judge Charles Owens, the first Black to serve as a judge in the state, administered the oath of office to Chief Justice Colbert.
The retired judge was appointed to his post in 1968 by then-Gov. Dewey Bartlett.  He was appointed to complete an unexpired term.
Judge Owens then went on to win numerous elections and reelections prior to his retirement.
After he was administered the oath of office, Chief Justice Colbert then swore-in Justice John Rief as vice chief justice.
He told the crowd he considered resigning from the high court on two occasions while serving the last two years as vice chief justice.
One of those times was when there was some possibility of being nominated for a federal judgeship, he said.  The other was when he was considering an offer to reenter private practice.
But both times, he said, his mother and his wife told him he owed it to those who struggled for civil rights before him to remain and eventually become chief justice.
“They were right,” Chief Justice Colbert said Friday.