American heroes come from all backgrounds. They have accomplished things that exemplify what it means to be a citizen of this country. They have struggled through the restrictions of this nation to become the person they are today. It could be made an argument that each of the Supreme Court justices that have served in history are American heroes. However, if there is one justice that symbolized a beacon of hope for so many Americans and caused legitimate policy change changing the lives of Americans for the better to this day, it would be Justice Thurgood Marshall.
Born in Baltimore on July 2nd, 1908, Marshall always was reading the Constitution for his misbehavior in school, and by the time he graduated in 1925 from high school, he knew it like the back of his hand. At Lincoln University in Oxford, Pennsylvania, Marshall wasn't the greatest student at first. He got suspended for hazing with his fraternity and would focus much more on his social life. But by the time he graduated, he was able to focus and ended up graduating near the top of his class.
Rejected from the University of Maryland Law School because he was black, he ended up at Howard, the famous HBCU. After graduating and denying a Harvard scholarship, he decided to pursue opening his own practice. Unable to get many paying cases, he never turned down a single one. This would lead to a precedent of volunteering. He eventually joined onto the NAACP and their legal efforts in desegregating the US in all aspects. Becoming one of the most well-known lawyers in all of the United States, he won 29 out of the 32 cases he argued in front of the SCOTUS. Then, he got the opportunity of a lifetime.
Brown v. Board of Education was the single most influential Supreme Court case in the 20th century. His argument helped remove the "separate but equal" doctrine in the United States and made it illegal to have segregated schools. After this landmark case, he became a national figure. He was nominated to the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals by JFK in September of 1961. In July of 65, Marshall became the solicitor general, appointed by President Johnson, and he was nominated and later confirmed as a Supreme Court justice on August 30th, 1967.
Through his 24 years on his bench as a liberal, he helped lead initiatives on equality of all people. Furthermore, as a big supporter of federal over state governments, he wanted to get rid of capital punishment significantly. As the court became significantly conservative, he got the name "The Great Dissenter" for always speaking against the decisions that he didn't support.
To be an American hero, one must be able to sacrifice their well-being for the betterment of the nation as a whole. Thurgood Marshall especially embodies this idea because he has been able to set aside his comforts to speak for the silenced and act for those who weren't able to do so. As the first black Supreme Court justice, he set an opportunity for all Americans to know that one day, they would get their opportunity to serve on the bench, knowing that this country is truly for all Americans.
Sources:
https://www.oyez.org/justices/thurgood_marshall
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thurgood-Marshall
Wow, Noah! I've heard about his involvement in Brown v. Board, but I had no idea that he was later confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice and continued to leave a lasting mark on American history. I think it's interesting to note that even before his career started, he would defend the rights of black Americans and work to file voting right cases, employment rights cases, and criminal justice cases. One of Marshall's first cases included State of Conneticut v. Joseph Spell, where Joseph Spell, a black man, was accused of raping and kidnapping a white socialite. While everything seemed to be stacked against Spell, Marshall miraculously managed to achieve an acquittal by pointing out discrepancies in the prosecution's argument and persuade the jury of not voting with stereotypes. Truly, Marshall was a hero to all and worked miracles when black people faced death.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-behind-marshall-180965148/
This really informed me on who Thurgood Marshall was, and why he is hailed as a hero. The line "To be an American hero, one must be able to sacrifice their well-being for the betterment of the nation as a whole" was especially powerful. Your line about him memorizing the Constitution interested me, so I read more about him and his life growing up. He says he got into law because of how much him and his father/brothers argued. To nobodies surprise, he was a star member in his high schools debate team. The reason he memorized the Constitution was actually as punishment from one of his teachers. Funny how that punishment would influence him growing up to interpret one of our great documents, and to be a civil rights hero.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.biography.com/people/thurgood-marshall-9400241