By Elaine Gross, ERASE Racism President Emeritus

On Tuesday, I received the unexpected news of the sudden death of renowned civil rights lawyer Howard Glickstein, one of ERASE Racism’s most stalwart champions from when it was founded in 2001. It may seem odd to say that his death at 96 was unexpected, but he was full of life at our Annual Benefit last week, and I had turned to him a few weeks earlier for valued advice on a piece of proposed civil rights legislation.

Howard Glickstein was a pillar of civil rights law and of ERASE Racism. A Yale Law School graduate, he was a staff attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice, where he assisted in the drafting of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He later served as General Counsel and subsequently Staff Director of the US Commission on Civil Rights.

When he left government, he began a distinguished academic career: first as the Director of the Center for Civil Rights at Notre Dame Law School, then as the Director of the Equal Employment Litigation Clinic at Howard University School of Law, and later as Dean of the University of Bridgeport School of Law, before serving from 1986 to 2004 as Dean of Touro Law Center.

That made him a perfect ally for me, as I was embarking on founding ERASE Racism. He was steeped in civil rights law, he had expertise in research and advocacy, and he had run several civil rights organizations.

Howard was my ally – and ERASE Racism’s – for the rest of his life. He was an advisor to ERASE Racism until the organization became incorporated in 2004 and then joined the initial Board of Directors. He served on the Board continuously until his death. He was a generous donor. He understood that organizations engaged in the hard work of advancing civil rights deserve
financial support.

Early in our tenure as colleagues and friends, Howard and I strategized how to improve the fair housing laws in Nassau and Suffolk counties. He joined me in meeting with civic leaders to advocate those improvements. He was always my mentor, but he treated me as an equal.

Howard understood the importance of showing up, demonstrating commitment, being relentless even when, as he became older, he could have justified staying home. Last fall he participated in a full-day in-person Board Retreat. He understood that now is the time to stand with ERASE Racism, especially as the federal government undermines hard-won civil rights, including the historic legislation that he helped write.

Howard was always there for ERASE Racism: with sage advice, enduring passion, and sustaining friendship. He is now with us in spirit, urging us onward by his determination, making us stronger by his legacy, and guiding us always by his example.