Title
To recognize Thurgood Marshall's appointment to the Supreme Court in 1967.
Body
WHEREAS, the year 2007 marks the fortieth anniversary of a signature event in American history-the appointment of Thurgood Marshall as the first African-American Justice to the United States Supreme Court; and
WHEREAS, this appointment in 1967 served with dramatic emphasis to demonstrate that this nation had taken another important step on the long road in protecting the rights of all American citizens; and
WHEREAS, Marshall, the descendent of a slave, had by that time already established a profound sensitivity to injustice by way of the crucible of racial discrimination, and had fought for over thirty-four years to improve the lot of voiceless Americans of all races; and
WHEREAS, Marshall's contribution to racial equality prior to his Supreme Court appointment included a successful suit against the University of Maryland to admit a young African American to its law school, and as chief counsel in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which struck down the legal basis for state sponsored segregation in American public schools in 1954; and
WHEREAS, known as one of the nation's best Constitutional lawyers, Marshall, while serving on the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit wrote over 150 decisions impacting support for the rights of immigrants, limiting government intrusion in cases involving illegal search and seizure, double jeopardy, and right to privacy issues; and
WHEREAS, Justice Marshall would continue to fight for oppressed Americans with great distinction on the nation's highest court for the next twenty-four years; therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that this City Council wishes to recognize and commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the appointment of Thurgood Marshall as the first African-American Justice to the United States Supreme Court, and to honor the man's legacy as a tireless champion of equal protection under the l...
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