Black History Month

Update | Monday, February 26, 2024

Did you know? The late Otto Beatty Jr., renowned anti-discrimination lawyer, state representative, civil rights activist, and husband of Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, was an early member of the Board of Trustees of the Columbus Technical Institute (CTI), which would later become Columbus State Community College. Beatty served as a trustee from 1972-77. 

The grandson of Columbus-based civil rights activist Mayme Moore, Beatty was just 29 years old when he became the first Black lawyer to argue a case before the Ohio Supreme Court in 1969 – a landmark case that he won, establishing the right to bail release. Beatty successfully represented the first two discrimination cases filed in Ohio. 

Throughout his 18 years in the State Legislature and decades heading up one of the largest Black-owned law practices in the state, Beatty was an advocate for Black-owned businesses, health care access, and the revitalization of downtown Columbus. Today, Beatty’s memory is honored by IMPACT Community Action’s Otto Beatty Jr. Men’s Shop, which provides suits and barber services to men transitioning into the employment, entrepreneurship, and self-sufficiency.  

 

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