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Jim Kershner
Jim Kershner
Jim Kershner has been a staff reporter for Spokane’s Spokesman-Review newspaper for over 20 years and has written many articles on Spokane and Eastern Washington history. He is also a staff historian for HistoryLink.org, the online encyclopedia of Washington State history, having written dozens of historical essays. In 2008, he published the biography, Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life. Since then, Jim has delivered many talks on Maxey, including presentations at the Northwest African-American Museum in Seattle and the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane. He has also given the William J. Davis, S.J. Lecture at Gonzaga University and the Black History Month Lecture at Whitworth University.
A Fighting Life: A Boxer-Turned-Lawyer Battles for Civil Rights
The story of a boxer-turned-lawyer, turned-civil rights activist is an inspiring one in Washington State history. Despite being kicked out of a Spokane orphanage during the Great Depression because of the color of his skin, Carl Maxey went on to become an undefeated boxing champion, Eastern Washington's first prominent African-American lawyer, a crusading civil rights leader, a controversial figure in the state's anti-Vietnam War movement, and a flamboyant defense attorney. Maxey’s story, set mostly in Spokane but relevant across the state, is a compelling personal drama that demonstrates how one person’s powerful belief in social justice and a pugnacious fighter's attitude can make a significant difference.
Contact Jim at (509) 624-5603 or by email. He currently lives in Spokane, WA.
Jim Kershner from Humanities Washington on Vimeo.
