WEBVTT - 070624 Way Black History Fact - The First Black Supreme Court Justice

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<v Speaker 1>Right now, it's time for the Way Black History Fact.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's Way Black History Pact to sponsored by Major Threads

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<v Speaker 1>for innovative fashionable sportswear check Majors Threads dot com. Today

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<v Speaker 1>we're going to be talking about Third Good Marshall. He

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<v Speaker 1>is the first black Supreme Court Justice and he is

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<v Speaker 1>worthy of today's conversation. He would be thoroughly disappointed in

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<v Speaker 1>one of his predecessors or one of his successors. Sorry.

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<v Speaker 1>On August thirtieth, nineteen sixty seven, the Senate confirmed Third

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<v Speaker 1>Good Marshal as the first black person to serve as

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<v Speaker 1>the Supreme Court Justice. Marshall was no stranger to the

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<v Speaker 1>Senate or the Supreme Court at the time, and Marshall

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<v Speaker 1>was confirmed in a sixty nine to eleven floor vote

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<v Speaker 1>to join the Court. He had previously been confirmed by

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<v Speaker 1>the Senate twice for two other government positions, when Marshall

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<v Speaker 1>was confirmed as a federal judge in the Kentucky administration

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<v Speaker 1>and then as Solicitor General for President Lyndon Johnson. President

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<v Speaker 1>Johnson nominated Marshall in June nineteen sixty seven to replace

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<v Speaker 1>the retiring Justice Tom Clark, who left the court after

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<v Speaker 1>his son, Ramsey Clark became Attorney General. Johnson said marsh

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<v Speaker 1>was quote best qualified by training and by very valuable

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<v Speaker 1>service to the country. I believe it is the right

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<v Speaker 1>thing to do, the right time to do it, and

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<v Speaker 1>the right man the right place. As long as civil

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<v Speaker 1>rights litigator, sorry as a long civil rights litigator for

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<v Speaker 1>the NAACP, Marshall had won most of the cases he

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<v Speaker 1>argued in front of the Supreme Court in that capacity.

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<v Speaker 1>Arguably his best and biggest win was the case of

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<v Speaker 1>Brown versus the Board of Education in nineteen fifty four,

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<v Speaker 1>one of the true landmark decisions in the Court's history,

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<v Speaker 1>which invalidated the concept of segregation at public schools under

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<v Speaker 1>the Fourteenth Amendment. Quote. This Court should make it clear

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<v Speaker 1>that that is not what our constitution stands for. End quote,

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<v Speaker 1>Marshall argued successfully. Marshall's confirmation hearing met with some resistance

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<v Speaker 1>from Southern senators who were concerned about his liberal track record.

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<v Speaker 1>The majority of senators in the Judiciary Committee reported that

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<v Speaker 1>Marshall quote demonstrated those qualities which we admire in members

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<v Speaker 1>of our highest judicial tribunal. Thoughtfulness, care, moderation, reasonableness, a

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<v Speaker 1>judicial temperament, and a balanced approach to controversial and complicated

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<v Speaker 1>national problems. In quote, five senators, including Sam Irvin, a

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<v Speaker 1>Democrat from North Carolina, didn't recommend Marshall's nomination. Quote it's

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<v Speaker 1>clearly a disservice to the Constitution and the country to

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<v Speaker 1>appoint a judicial activist to the Supreme Court at any time,

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<v Speaker 1>wrote Irvin in the committee's report. The actual debate and

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<v Speaker 1>floor vote on August thirty, nineteen sixty seven took about

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<v Speaker 1>six hours, with the discussion focused on Marshall's character and

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<v Speaker 1>the conservative senator's concerns over Marshall as a liberal jurist

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<v Speaker 1>and attorney. After he was fully approved by the Senate,

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<v Speaker 1>Marshall then took two oaths, one in September nineteen sixty seven,

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<v Speaker 1>in another in early October nineteen sixty seven. When we

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<v Speaker 1>first joined the bench on the Court, Martial was a

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<v Speaker 1>member of the bench's liberal wing. He served twenty four

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<v Speaker 1>years on the Court before retiring in nineteen ninety one.

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<v Speaker 1>After Marshall's death in ninety three, the Court approved a

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<v Speaker 1>special resolution honoring Marshall. Quote. The great majority of Supreme

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<v Speaker 1>Court justices are almost always remembered for their contributions to

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<v Speaker 1>constitutional law. As a member of this Court. Justice Marshall, however,

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<v Speaker 1>it is unique because of his contributions to constitutional law

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<v Speaker 1>before becoming a member of the Court was so significant,

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<v Speaker 1>quote wrote Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Quote inscribed above the

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<v Speaker 1>front interest to this Court building are the words equal

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<v Speaker 1>justice under law. Surely no individual did more to make

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<v Speaker 1>these words a reality than third Good Marshal, and I

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<v Speaker 1>want to share something just In contrast from the Black

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<v Speaker 1>Information Network, comments made by family members of Jenny Thomas,

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<v Speaker 1>the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, surrounding how

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<v Speaker 1>they felt about her marrying her husband, have resurfaced. Per

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<v Speaker 1>the Atlanta Black Star, The remarks came from a nineteen

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<v Speaker 1>ninety one article in the Washington Post headline the Nominee's Soulmate.

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<v Speaker 1>During the decades old interview, Jenny discussed her staunch conservative views,

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<v Speaker 1>and her relatives revealed that they were shocked when she

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<v Speaker 1>told them she was marrying a black man. Quote. I

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<v Speaker 1>can guarantee you I was surprised when I found out

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<v Speaker 1>she was going with a black man, Jenny's uncle, Ralph

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<v Speaker 1>Knopp said, per the Post, it was unusual for us,

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<v Speaker 1>but he was so nice. We forgot he was black

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<v Speaker 1>and he treated her so well, so yeah, they had

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<v Speaker 1>to forget he was back.