Speaker 1: Right now, it's time for the Way Black History Fact.
Speaker 1: Today's Way Black History Pact to sponsored by Major Threads
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Speaker 1: we're going to be talking about Third Good Marshall. He
Speaker 1: is the first black Supreme Court Justice and he is
Speaker 1: worthy of today's conversation. He would be thoroughly disappointed in
Speaker 1: one of his predecessors or one of his successors. Sorry.
Speaker 1: On August thirtieth, nineteen sixty seven, the Senate confirmed Third
Speaker 1: Good Marshal as the first black person to serve as
Speaker 1: the Supreme Court Justice. Marshall was no stranger to the
Speaker 1: Senate or the Supreme Court at the time, and Marshall
Speaker 1: was confirmed in a sixty nine to eleven floor vote
Speaker 1: to join the Court. He had previously been confirmed by
Speaker 1: the Senate twice for two other government positions, when Marshall
Speaker 1: was confirmed as a federal judge in the Kentucky administration
Speaker 1: and then as Solicitor General for President Lyndon Johnson. President
Speaker 1: Johnson nominated Marshall in June nineteen sixty seven to replace
Speaker 1: the retiring Justice Tom Clark, who left the court after
Speaker 1: his son, Ramsey Clark became Attorney General. Johnson said marsh
Speaker 1: was quote best qualified by training and by very valuable
Speaker 1: service to the country. I believe it is the right
Speaker 1: thing to do, the right time to do it, and
Speaker 1: the right man the right place. As long as civil
Speaker 1: rights litigator, sorry as a long civil rights litigator for
Speaker 1: the NAACP, Marshall had won most of the cases he
Speaker 1: argued in front of the Supreme Court in that capacity.
Speaker 1: Arguably his best and biggest win was the case of
Speaker 1: Brown versus the Board of Education in nineteen fifty four,
Speaker 1: one of the true landmark decisions in the Court's history,
Speaker 1: which invalidated the concept of segregation at public schools under
Speaker 1: the Fourteenth Amendment. Quote. This Court should make it clear
Speaker 1: that that is not what our constitution stands for. End quote,
Speaker 1: Marshall argued successfully. Marshall's confirmation hearing met with some resistance
Speaker 1: from Southern senators who were concerned about his liberal track record.
Speaker 1: The majority of senators in the Judiciary Committee reported that
Speaker 1: Marshall quote demonstrated those qualities which we admire in members
Speaker 1: of our highest judicial tribunal. Thoughtfulness, care, moderation, reasonableness, a
Speaker 1: judicial temperament, and a balanced approach to controversial and complicated
Speaker 1: national problems. In quote, five senators, including Sam Irvin, a
Speaker 1: Democrat from North Carolina, didn't recommend Marshall's nomination. Quote it's
Speaker 1: clearly a disservice to the Constitution and the country to
Speaker 1: appoint a judicial activist to the Supreme Court at any time,
Speaker 1: wrote Irvin in the committee's report. The actual debate and
Speaker 1: floor vote on August thirty, nineteen sixty seven took about
Speaker 1: six hours, with the discussion focused on Marshall's character and
Speaker 1: the conservative senator's concerns over Marshall as a liberal jurist
Speaker 1: and attorney. After he was fully approved by the Senate,
Speaker 1: Marshall then took two oaths, one in September nineteen sixty seven,
Speaker 1: in another in early October nineteen sixty seven. When we
Speaker 1: first joined the bench on the Court, Martial was a
Speaker 1: member of the bench's liberal wing. He served twenty four
Speaker 1: years on the Court before retiring in nineteen ninety one.
Speaker 1: After Marshall's death in ninety three, the Court approved a
Speaker 1: special resolution honoring Marshall. Quote. The great majority of Supreme
Speaker 1: Court justices are almost always remembered for their contributions to
Speaker 1: constitutional law. As a member of this Court. Justice Marshall, however,
Speaker 1: it is unique because of his contributions to constitutional law
Speaker 1: before becoming a member of the Court was so significant,
Speaker 1: quote wrote Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Quote inscribed above the
Speaker 1: front interest to this Court building are the words equal
Speaker 1: justice under law. Surely no individual did more to make
Speaker 1: these words a reality than third Good Marshal, and I
Speaker 1: want to share something just In contrast from the Black
Speaker 1: Information Network, comments made by family members of Jenny Thomas,
Speaker 1: the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, surrounding how
Speaker 1: they felt about her marrying her husband, have resurfaced. Per
Speaker 1: the Atlanta Black Star, The remarks came from a nineteen
Speaker 1: ninety one article in the Washington Post headline the Nominee's Soulmate.
Speaker 1: During the decades old interview, Jenny discussed her staunch conservative views,
Speaker 1: and her relatives revealed that they were shocked when she
Speaker 1: told them she was marrying a black man. Quote. I
Speaker 1: can guarantee you I was surprised when I found out
Speaker 1: she was going with a black man, Jenny's uncle, Ralph
Speaker 1: Knopp said, per the Post, it was unusual for us,
Speaker 1: but he was so nice. We forgot he was black
Speaker 1: and he treated her so well, so yeah, they had
Speaker 1: to forget he was back.