Elizabeth Freeman, also known as Mum Bett, escaped slavery in a way that was unusual: she took her case to court. She approached lawyer Theodore Sedgwick with this question: "I heard that paper read yesterday that says 'all men are born equal,' and that every man has a right to freedom ... won't the law give me my freedom?" Appealing to her natural rights and her rights under the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, she sued for her freedom and won.
						  
							
							
							Center for Civic Education

60-Second Civics: Episode 5085, Elizabeth Freeman: Women's History Month, Part 4

60-Second Civics is a daily podcast that provides a quick and convenient way for listeners to learn about our nation's government, the Constitution, and our history. The podcast explores themes related to civics and government, the constitutional issues behind the headlines, and the people and ideas that formed our nation's history and government.


 60-Second Civics is produced by the Center for Civic Education. The show's content is primarily derived from the Center's education for democracy curricula, including We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, Project Citizen, Foundations of Democracy, and Elements of Democracy.

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Today, we ask Justice Nakayama: What is it like to be one of the first women to serve on the Hawai'i Supreme Court and one of the few Asian American women serving as a state supreme court justice? While Justice Nakayama shares times in which she faced discrimination, she nonetheless believes that "being on the Supreme Court is an honor and a privilege."
						  
							
							
							Center for Civic Education

60-Second Civics: Episode 5124, One of the First Women on the Hawai'i Supreme Court: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 2

This episode is a rebroadcast from our interview series with then Associate Justice of the Hawai'i Supreme Court, Paula Nakayama. Justice Nakayama served on the Hawaii Supreme Court from 1993 until 2023. In our first episode, Justice Nakayama shares how a lot of hard work and a little luck helped her achieve one of the highest positions in the legal profession.
						  
							
							
							Center for Civic Education

60-Second Civics: Episode 5123, How Did You Become a Justice on the Hawai'i Supreme Court?: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 1

Where did the idea of universal human equality, a common American idea, come from? Religious movements in colonial America helped spread the idea of universal moral human equality, including equality among social classes. Listen to today's podcast for more!
						  
							
							
							Center for Civic Education

60-Second Civics: Episode 5122, Equality and the American Mind: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 20

In a recent episode, we discussed the origins of Americans' sense of political equality, but America's Founders also possessed a strong sense of moral equality. Indeed, the idea of the moral equality of human beings has ancient origins.
						  
							
							
							Center for Civic Education

60-Second Civics: Episode 5121, Stoicism, Christianity, and Moral Equality: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 19

The Declaration of Independence states that all men, meaning all people, are created equal. But where did this idea come from? Ideas of natural political equality were developed in seventeenth-century England and exported to its colonies across the North Atlantic. Learn more in today's episode!
						  
							
							
							Center for Civic Education

60-Second Civics: Episode 5085, Elizabeth Freeman: Women's History Month, Part 4

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