Tom Jacobson, a Holocaust survivor and former civil rights attorney, discussed his experiences in Nazi Germany and his extensive achievements as an ardent civil rights activist on campus and in his career at UW Hillel Tuesday evening.
Jacobson, only six months old, escaped to the United States, at first aboard the S.S. St. Louis — a German ship that carried Jewish refugees fleeing from Nazi persecution that was turned away by the U.S.. As a Wisconsinite and University of Wisconsin Law alum, Jacobson said he felt humbled to be back in the space where his path to being a leading civil rights attorney started.
“There’s strength in numbers; you have to be unified. Be non-violent, but let your voice be heard. Don’t bend the knee, don’t appease. And don’t be fearful,” Jacobson said…“You’ve got freedom now. Exercise it and use it while you still have it.”
As a UW Law student, Jacobson said he was involved in many student organizations, one of them being the civil rights organization on campus, where he once served as president at one point.
There he staged a sit-in at the Wisconsin State Capitol building to force a floor vote on a housing bill, amassing a group of 16 volunteers —representing the 16 pillars of the rotunda.
While only one representative voted in favor of the bill, he said his efforts showed the necessity of activism and protest in the United States, especially in today’s political climate.
“There’s strength in numbers; you have to be unified. Be non violent, but let your voice be heard. Don’t bend the knee, don’t appease. And don’t be fearful,” Jacobson said…“You’ve got freedom now. Exercise it and use it while you still have it.”
Jacobson is regarded as an eminent civil rights figure, not only in the state of Wisconsin, but in the law community as a whole.
Shortly after graduating law school, he partnered with prominent civil rights activist Lloyd Barbee to establish Milwaukee’s first integrated law firm in 1962. Under this firm, Jacobson argued and won two landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases, all when he was barely 30. One of these cases, Sniadach v. Family Finance Corp., involved the constitutionality of garnishing, or freezing worker’s wages, before the worker had a chance to defend themself in court.
That case was important to Jacobson since it aligned with his goal to advocate for equal treatment and opportunity for all.
“The unfairness of [garnishment]...had a tremendous impact on lower income, minority people and consumers,” he said. “I think that was the most important law that I was able to accomplish, getting that changed.”
Despite this powerful win, Jacobson said his greatest achievement is the impact he made on the civil rights movement.
“Truthfully, I think the thing I’m most proud about is that I stood up for human rights, and I accomplished a lot,” he said. “I think I made life better for a lot of people.”
Later in his career, Jacobson represented the 11 families of the victims of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, awarding the families half a million dollars in damages for Dahmer’s crimes.
On top of his achievements in the courtroom, Jacobson was named Milwaukee’s Man of the Year in 1977 for public service and was the democratic candidate for Wisconsin attorney general in 1970.
Jacobson’s life story and his long-standing commitment to civil rights issues shows the importance of activism in maintaining the freedoms and liberties that have been vigorously fought for.
“Democracy is a precious thing, freedom is a precious thing, and in order to keep it, you have to fight for it, and that means you have to stand up,” he said. “You have to really let your voice be heard.”
