Suffolk County Sheriff @StevenWTompkins joined colleagues hailing from law enforcement agencies and members of the criminal legal system across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts who were honored as “Distinguished Fellows,” by the George Lewis Ruffin Society in a ceremony held last night. The George Lewis Ruffin Society was established in 1984 in honor of George Lewis Ruffin, who was the first African American to graduate from Harvard Law School in 1869 and was later elected the first African American to serve on the @BostonCityCouncil in 1875. In 1883, Ruffin became the first African American judge in the United States. Based at @Northeastern University, the organization supports people of color studying in the Massachusetts criminal legal system and is dedicated to establishing greater mutual understanding communities of color and the criminal justice system.