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Ohio's First Black Supreme Court Justice Dies

Robert Morton Duncan, the first black justice to serve on the Ohio Supreme Court, has died. He was 85. He served on the high court from 1969, when he was appointed by Gov. James A. Rhodes, until 1971, when President Nixon appointed him to the U.S. Court of Military Appeals. In 1974 Duncan was appointed to the federal court in Columbus where he decided that city's historic schools' desegregation cases. Duncan identified those cases as the most meaningful of his career because they secured equal educational access for black students. Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor said Duncan was an inspiration to a generation of Ohio lawyers and judges. Duncan, an Ohio State alum, also served several years on the university's board of trustees. He's survived by his wife, Shirley, and their three children.

Mike Foley joined WCBE in February 2000, coming from WUFT in Gainesville, Florida. Foley has worked in various roles, from producing news and feature stories to engineering Live From Studio A sessions. A series of music features Foley started in 2018 called Music Journeys has grown into a podcast and radio show. He also assists in developing other programs in WCBE's Podcast Experience. Foley hosts The Morning Mix, a weekday music show featuring emerging and established musicians, our Columbus-area and Ohio-based talent, and additional artists that inspire him.