Living Life Against the Odds: A Personal Chronicle

By REGINALD A. BODDIE

Living Life against the Odds: A Personal Chronicle is a very powerful memoir of author Reginald Boddie, who was raised in New Haven, Connecticut. The book provides vivid details of his life growing up in a poor neighborhood, a stay in foster care, his transition from foster care to private school and return home, challenges he overcame with standardized testing, and his unwavering commitment to serving schools and communities, leading to his eventual successful admission to Brown University and Northeastern University School of Law. In the face of all these challenges, he becomes a successful attorney in New York and eventually a supervising judge of the New York City Civil Court and justice of the New York State Supreme Court. He shares in a very powerful and compelling manner his many challenges along the way, including cancer and temporary blindness, in an effort to encourage readers to be persistent in elevating their faith and always pushing toward success regardless of the circumstances. This personal account about persistence and achievement in the face of all odds is a must read for all ages. Once you start reading, it will be hard to stop, and your spirit of optimism will be renewed. Reginald Boddie is the recipient of a host of awards, including Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who Albert N. Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, and an African American Trailblazer Award, among others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781649521828

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Living Life Against the Odds

A Personal Chronicle

REGINALD A. BODDIE

Copyright © 2022 REGINALD A. BODDIE

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2022

ISBN 978-1-64952-181-1 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63710-663-1 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-64952-182-8 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Growing Up in New Haven

Chapter 2

Journey from Children's Home to Preparatory School

Chapter 3

Transitioning Back to the Neighborhood after Preparatory School

Chapter 4

The High School Challenge

Chapter 5

Reggie Blossoms at Brown

Chapter 6

Journey to Boston and Northeastern University School of Law

Chapter 7

Life after Law School

Chapter 8

Confronting a Health Challenge with Grace and Uncompromising Faith

Chapter 9

New Storms Arrive before a Lifetime Blessing

About the Author

Dedication

This book was written to chronicle my life, with hope that it might inspire others never to give up regardless of the challenges faced in life. This book is dedicated to my mother, Gladys Boddie, who helped instill in me strong principles, unwavering determination, and a positive spirit. My mother passed on August 3, 2008, in Clearwater, Florida, after waging a vigorous battle against pancreatic cancer for eight years, defying medical predictions and perhaps history. She also made history before the US Supreme Court as a plaintiff in Boddie v. State of Connecticut, securing access to the courts for indigent persons through fee waivers, and fought fervently for improving conditions in public housing. She cared tremendously about people and the human condition. My mother was truly my hero and friend.

I also dedicate this book to Charisse Boddie, my wife, friend, and soul mate, who saved my life twice when I was in denial about being seriously ill and hesitant to go to the hospital. I also thank my sister, Gwendolyn Boddie-Bethea, and the many friends who have given me invaluable advice and support throughout my life and professional career. I am deeply indebted to all of you. Thank you for your love, friendship, and generosity.

Introduction

Reginald Boddie is a justice of the New York State Supreme Court and former supervising judge of the New York City Civil Court in Brooklyn, New York. He is a graduate of Brown University and Northeastern University School of Law. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, and raised in the public housing projects there, he shares his experiences of growing up in a poor neighborhood, attending public schools, a stay in a state-operated children's home, his challenges with standardized testing, cancer, temporary blindness, and his rise to becoming a judge. In this autobiography, Reggie shares his story to encourage people to find the best within themselves while reminding them to allow their spirituality to be a persistent guide.

Reggie is admitted to practice law before the New York State and District of Columbia Bars, the federal courts of the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Reggie practiced law as a private attorney for over twenty years. He also previously worked as a volunteer instructor of law education in the New York City Public Schools, the founder, president and director of United Youth Enterprises, Inc., a board member of the Boys and Girls' Clubs, and in numerous other public service capacities.

Reggie is a member of numerous bar associations and previously served as a member of the Democratic Judicial Screening Committee for Kings and Richmond Counties in New York City. He is the recipient of a host of awards and professional recognition, including Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who Albert N. Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, New York City Civil Court Volunteer Lawyer of the Year Award, New York State Courts Pro Bono Service Award, African American Trailblazer Award, Kings County Courts Special Achievement Award, the Catholic Lawyers Guild Hon. William T. Bellard Judiciary Award, Kings County Housing Court Bar Association Judiciary Award of Merit, and NAACP Public Service Award, among others.

He is married to Charisse Boddie.

Chapter 1

Growing Up in New Haven

I was born on Flag Day, June 14, 1959, at Grace New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut. The hospital would eventually be renamed Yale New Haven Hospital in recognition of its affiliation with Yale University. Yale University grew tremendously since those early days to consume large sections of the New Haven metropolitan area and would play a major role in New Haven politics.

My mother was married to John Boddie, which is where I derived my last name. However, I could rarely recall him being present for any extended period of time in my life. My mother had six children, three boys and three girls: David, Gwendolyn, Sonia, Carla, Ronald, and me. I am the third oldest.

As a youngster, I attended Woolsey School in the Fair Haven section of New Haven until the second grade. I remember best my first day in kindergarten. When my mother departed, I cried a lot. The teacher, Ms. Connelly comforted me. After that, I thoroughly enjoyed school, playing educational games with my new friends, drinking milk, eating crackers or cookies for snack, and learning my ABCs. I was proud of learning my ABCs faster than most of the children in my class. Not only did I learn the alphabets quickly, I was able to recite them backwards. My first year in school passed quickly.

I also remember the following year in first grade. I developed a strong affinity for reading and made a challenge of advancing quickly through what was known as the Weekly Reader, always trying to stay ahead of my classmates. I also remember vividly my first-grade teacher slamming my hand on the desk in an effort to force me to switch from writing left-handed. When I told my mother about this incident, she was furious and demanded to visit the teacher. I rarely recall seeing my mother so angry. I pleaded with her not to confront the teacher, but she refused to have it any other way. After my mother confronted the teacher, she never tried to switch my preference again and was extremely courteous to me throughout the remainder of the year.

As most left-handed youngsters of my generation can readily recall, we were constantly reminded of our left-handed status virtually every day because of the position of the pencil sharpener mounted on the wall and the orientation of the desks with the table portion mounted on the right side. Consequently, although I was reluctant to have my mother confront the teacher, the fact that she did made me feel I had won a victory for left-handed people. Although unaware at the time, my mother would prove an ardent and courageous fighter whenever and wherever she felt an injustice existed. For this quality, among many others, I have always admired her.

My initial years growing up in New Haven during the 1960s were also memorable because at that time young children could walk to school alone, as I often did, without worry of being accosted by strangers. Then, my family lived on Haven Street, less than a quarter mile from the schools my brothers, sisters and I attended. Haven Street was a quiet street where every family knew one another and helped with whatever they could, whether offering a small cup of sugar, babysitting, or just good conversation. And at that time, my brothers, sisters, and I knew well not to misbehave in the street because the neighbors were always watching and had unfettered permission to smack our behinds. These times were very different from today. Adults were free to discipline other children at will. And if parents learned of the misbehavior, they would repeat the punishment by smacking our behinds. This was an inducement for us to behave even outside the presence of our parents. Consequently, when we misbehaved outside the home, we begged the adults not to tell our parents for fear of further retribution.

I was rarely the recipient of such treatment since I did not like being embarrassed in public or in the presence of my brothers and sisters at home. But I still remember the day I spoke out to my mother and ran out the house. She threatened to impress upon me the need to keep my mouth shut when her friend Shirley arrived. Shirley was a close friend of my mother and the least favorite of my brothers, sisters and I because Shirley had mastered the art of embarrassing and beating children in public.

We often referred to her as the queen of abuse and ridicule. She reprimanded her children in my family's presence about the most embarrassing topics, whether it was the need to wash their bodies or to stop wetting the bed. Her comments were raw. I often felt embarrassed for her children. Shirley was simply tactless. Once she told her son to go into the bathroom and wash the rings off his penis. Although very young at the time, even I knew that was impossible. Consequently, I wondered why she would go to such great lengths to embarrass her children in front of me and my siblings.

Shirley also beat her children regularly and bragged about the effectiveness of the beatings. Consequently, her children usually behaved in her presence and acted out in her absence. Thus, I often wondered whether Shirley's behavior led to the children having any greater respect for her. Although this question lingered frequently on my mind, I never inquired of her children because it was a very sensitive topic.

Needless to say, I was terrified when our one family house on Haven Street was condemned by the City of New Haven due to the landlord's neglect to perform repairs, and I learned that we would be moving into the public housing projects where Shirley resided on Ashmun Street. After all, it was Shirley who suggested that my mother start putting a switch to my behind to stop my tantrums when I could not get my way. My tantrums, though rare, sometimes even stunned me. After one of the tantrums, Shirley hit me with a switch so hard on my belly that it left a permanent marking. Unfortunately, I would wear that scar for the rest of my life and be questioned about it by every doctor who examined me without a shirt. But in those days, you dared not report your mother or her friends to the police. Thus, I quickly learned to remain silent about the mark. The pain of being reminded about that day was simply too much to lay bare. Yet I never forgot.

I do not condone child abuse, but at that time the lines between discipline and abuse were so blurred that a child would, in most circumstances, be ignored. Such was the case when my sister Sonia ran away the year before. My mother had the police locate Sonia and spanked her in front of the police as my siblings and I watched. Thus, I had no reason to believe the result would have been any different in my case.

My brothers and sisters did not want to move close to Shirley either, although we had no choice, except for my brother David. David is my oldest brother. While still a teenager, my mother arranged for David to attend the Albany Boys' School in Albany, New York, in an effort to keep him off the streets. David had been a frequent visitor to the local juvenile detention center. Eventually my mother grew tired of going to the center and arranged for David to be sent out of state to attend school and join a better group of friends.

Although this appeared to be a difficult choice for my mother, as judged by her sullen manner for the entire year after David left, she tried to put up a strong front. She also chided the rest of us that if we decided to follow David's example and landed in detention, she would not visit us. Her persistence paid off. Later, when one or more of my siblings landed in the juvenile detention center in downtown New Haven for a day, she left them to contemplate the circumstances the entire weekend. They never returned. David graduated from the Albany Boys' School and continued to Syracuse University, where he received a bachelor's degree. He later attended Texas Southern University Law School and became the first lawyer and judge in the family. Thus, David avoided all the chaos that would later come with our family's move closer to Shirley.

I was preparing to start third grade when the family moved to Ashmun Street. Suddenly my life of comfort in a single-family home with a spacious backyard and grape vines disappeared. Gone also were my regular visits with Reverend Robert E. Jones of the Fair Haven Parents' Ministry, then a divinity student at Yale University, who often took me out on weekends and kept my attention on positive activities. Also gone were my