Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

62 | DECEMBER 9 • 2021 

O

nce in a while, when researching 
a particular topic, I cannot find 
anything in the William Davidson 
Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History. 
This is rare, but one topic often leads to 
another interesting subject … or to a per-
son of note.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of 
landmark legislation in Michigan. In 1976, 
the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights 
Act (ELCRA) was passed. It 
is an act with a wide focus, 
prohibiting discrimination in 
the state based on “religion, 
race, color, national origin, 
age, sex, height, weight, 
familial status or marital 
status” in employment, 
housing, education and access to public 
accommodations. 
For Jewish Detroit, the prohibition of 
discrimination based on religion is the 
key phrase. Indeed, the ELCRA was a 
big leap forward for Michigan law in the 
1970s. However, the Act is increasingly 
relevant in today’s political climate of ris-
ing antisemitism and extreme right-wing 
prejudice against others of various types of 
“religion, race, color, national origin, etc.”
Despite the path-breaking nature of 
the ELCRA, I was surprised to find that 
it was only mentioned on two pages of 
JN. These were more recent stories about 
the efforts of the NJCW to make sure the 
Act enforced its sex discrimination pro-
visions regarding pay equity and health 
care (JN Dec. 27, 2007, and March 28, 
2013). Nevertheless, I did learn a few 
things about the Jewish nature of the Act’s 
foundation. I also learned that the work 
of one Jewish lawyer was instrumental in 
laying the foundation of the ELCRA in 
the 1960s: Professor Harold Norris (1918-
2013). 

The act itself was built upon civil rights 
provisions incorporated in the new state 
constitution produced by the Michigan 
Constitutional Convention, 1961-1962. 

Approved by the voters in 1963, it became 
the basis for Michigan law in January 1964. 
The new constitution featured a national 
“first.” It enacted a Michigan Civil Rights 
Commission with investigative powers 
not found in any other state constitution. 
Publisher Emeritus Arthur Horwitz’s essay 
“Turning Point for Civil Rights” (Jan. 
24, 2013, JN) summarizes this signature 
accomplishment, and noted that Professor 
Norris played a salient role in crafting its 
civil rights provisions, which underlie 
1976’s ELRCA.
In the Archive, I found no shortage of 
pages citing the work of Norris. A native 
of Detroit, as soon as he began practicing 
law in Michigan, Norris concentrated on 
constitutional, labor and civil liberties 
law. He taught more than 6,000 students 
about these legal doctrines as a professor 
at the Detroit College of Law (DCL), now 
a school of Michigan State University, for 
37 years. 
During his tenure at the DCL, Norris 
was elected to Michigan’s Constitutional 
Convention in 1961, received two Lifetime 
Achievement Awards in 1988 and 2011 
from the State Bar of Michigan, a spe-
cial award for “25 Years of Outstanding 
Service” from the Detroit Jewish Chronicle, 
and was honored by the Michigan 
Supreme Court in 1987, to name just a few 
accolades.
Norris was also an author of several 
books, a celebrated poet and a popular 
speaker. His famous poem, The Liberty 
Bell, is still on display at the Detroit Public 
Library. 
The obituary for Professor Norris in 
the Oct. 24, 2013, JN was aptly titled 
“Champion of Liberty” and it described 
him as one of “Michigan’s most celebrated 
civil liberties advocates.” Today, we all 
benefit from his wisdom. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation 

archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.

org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

Remembering a Champion of Liberty

the basis for Michigan law in January 1964. 

The new constitution featured a national 

Publisher Emeritus Arthur Horwitz’s essay 

Remembering a Champion of Liberty

