Thurgood Marshall | 1998-2019 © Copyright. Even these ringing phrases from the Declaration of Independence are filled with irony, for an early draft of what became that Declaration assailed the King of England for suppressing legislative attempts to end the slave trade and for encouraging slave rebellions. Curators from the National Museum of African American History and Culture share artifacts and stories from the life of writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin. The record of the Framers’ debates on the slave question is especially clear: The Southern States acceded to the demands of the New England States for giving Congress broad power to regulate commerce, in exchange for the right to continue the slave trade. It took a bloody. To make the compromise even more palatable, customs duties would be imposed at up to ten dollars per slave as a means of raising public revenues. ", "I wish I could say that racism and prejudice were only distant memories. The economic interests of the regions coalesced: New Englanders engaged in the “carrying trade” would profit from transporting slaves from Africa as well as goods produced in America by slave labor. At age 83, he retired from the courts and passed away at the age of 85. The following is a speech Marshall gave at the instillation of Wiley Branton to be dean of Howard Law School. Grandson of an enslaved person, Marshall lived through some of … But Marshall was one of the few voices pointing out that the original constitution required numerous amendments and came to a crisis that required a Civil War to solve. ", "The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis.". The first African American professional player in Major League Baseball had support from his family on and off the field. The progress has been dramatic, and it will continue. 1, 52 (Sept. 17, 1787). This is your democracy. Grandson of an enslaved person, Marshall lived through some of the most trying times of race relations in America's history, which undoubtedly shaped his legal philosophy. In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court. I cannot accept this invitation, for I do not believe that the meaning of the Constitution was forever “fixed” at the Philadelphia Convention. Here are some of his most powerful quotes: "Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. Black teachers, black educators. United States Constitution, Art. The original intent of the phrase, “We the People,” was far too clear for any ameliorating construction. Still, Thurgood Marshall believed that courts held the key to equality. Despite this clear understanding of the role slavery would play in the new republic, use of the words “slaves” and “slavery” was carefully avoided in the original document. Du Bois and other prominent African American figures. After the Brown vs. Board of Education Decision, Thurgood Marshall became one of America’s leading figures for integration. This speech Thurgood Marshall gave in 1987 was part of the constitutional bicentennial celebration. The focus of this celebration invites a complacent belief that the vision of those who debated and compromised in Philadelphia yielded the “more perfect Union” it is said we now enjoy. The activist encouraged millions to follow his example and shake the world in a gentle way. The perpetuation of slavery ensured the primary source of wealth in the Southern States. While the Union survived the civil war, the Constitution did not. Moral principles against slavery, for those who had them, were compromised, with no explanation of the conflicting principles for which the American Revolutionary War had ostensibly been fought: the selfevident truths “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Declaration of independence (July 4, 1776). We know that it actually lasted a good deal longer, as the Framers possessed no monopoly on the ability to trade moral principles for selfinterest. Certain people have a way of saying things that shake us at the core. on the issue whether, in the eyes of the Framers, slaves were “constituent members of the sovereignty,” and were to be included among “We the People”: “We think they are not, and that they are not included, and were not intended to be included…. A Commission has been established to coordinate the celebration. Although Marshall contributed to many areas of the law, including income tax and unions, he is markedly known for his liberal contributions to the areas of civil rights and criminal procedure. Thurgood Marshall, the crusading attorney and civil rights activist who led the fight against school desegregation, became the first African-American to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. Thurgood Marshall was the first African-American to serve on the United States Supreme Court. What is striking is the role legal principles have played throughout America’s history in determining the condition of Negroes. But in light of this victory, Marshall soon faced personal tragedy. Politicians and Judges around the country were praising the “founding Fathers” for their genius at writing a document that established the guiding legal principles of the republic for generations. the most interesting speeches by Thurgood Marshall. It's not true, but I challenge anyone to say it is not a goal worth working for. Slaves could be imported, if the commercial interests of the North were protected. The planned commemoration will span three years, and I am told 1987 is “dedicated to the memory of the Founders and the document they drafted in Philadelphia.” Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution, First Full Year’s Report, at 7 (September 1986). The African American activist spoke out about freedom, equality and civil rights. For a sense of the evolving nature of the Constitution we need look no further than the first three words of the document’s preamble: ‘We the People.” When the Founding Fathers used this phrase in 1787, they did not have in mind the majority of America’s citizens. If we seek, instead, a sensitive understanding of the Constitution’s inherent defects, and its promising evolution through 200 years of history, the celebration of the “Miracle at Philadelphia” Bowen, Miracle at Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention May to September 1787 (Boston 1966). As chief counsel to the NAACP, Thurgood Marshall argued the case that would define his career and legacy–Brown vs Board of Eduction. The official meetings, essay contests, and festivities have begun. It was not the first such compromise. Even when the words do not seem harsh or offensive, the impact is shattering. What we could be experiencing is the intent behind the words. Thurgood Marshall (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American lawyer and civil rights activist who served as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from October 1967 until October 1991. [N]o one seems to have doubted the correctness of the prevailing opinion of the time.”, And so, nearly seven decades after the Constitutional Convention, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the prevailing opinion of the Framers regarding the rights of Negroes in America. The final draft adopted in 1776 did not contain this criticism. On August 30, 1967, Thurgood Marshall became the first African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice. ", "What is the quality of your intent?