He earned an undergraduate degree from Lincoln University in 1930 and a law degree from Howard University Law School in 1933. A Commission has been established to coordinate the celebration. 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. 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. On August 30, 1967, Thurgood Marshall became the first African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice. But they nevertheless set an unfortunate example. 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. 3. That job belongs to you and me. “The true miracle was not the birth of the Constitution, but its life,” Marshall, the first black to sit on the high court, said in a speech delivered to a legal convention in Maui, Hawaii. The legal system can force open doors, and sometimes-even knock down walls, but it cannot build bridges. Declaration of independence (July 4, 1776). of the Thurgood Marshall was a great African American Civil Rights activist who changed a lot of lives in the United States. This speech Thurgood Marshall gave in 1987 was part of the constitutional bicentennial celebration. I cannot accept this invitation, for I do not believe that the meaning of the Constitution was forever “fixed” at the Philadelphia Convention. Women did not gain the right to vote for over a hundred and thirty years. Philadelphia, PA. We the People" no longer enslave, but the credit does not belong to the Framers. 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. Speeches The Legal Attack to Secure Civil Rights. 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." The progress has been dramatic, and it will continue. 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. 1, 59 (Sept. 17, 1787). “Racism separates, but it never libera They could not have imagined, nor would they have accepted, that the document they were drafting would one day be construed by a Supreme Court to which had been appointed a woman and the descendent of an African slave. Farrand, ad., The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, vol. These omissions were intentional. See Becker, The Declaration of Independence: A Study in the History of Political Ideas 147 (1942). 11, 222 (New Haven, Conn., 1911). Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution, First Report, at 6 (September 17, 1985). What is striking is the role legal principles have played throughout America’s history in determining the condition of Negroes. Responsibility edited by Mark V. Tushnet ; foreword by Randall Kennedy. In fact, he wrote the final draft of the Constitution, the very document the bicentennial will commemorate. The official meetings, essay contests, and festivities have begun. Like many anniversary celebrations, the plan for 1987 takes particular events and holds them up as the source of all the very best that has followed. 356 Views Program ID: 151490-1 Category: Public Affairs Event Format: Speech Location: Washington, District of Columbia, United States First Aired: May 6, 1987 – Thurgood Marshall Delivers His Famous “Bicentennial Speech” Posted on 05/06/2009 by rhapsodyinbooks Thurgood Marshall, born in Baltimore, Maryland on July 2, 1908, was the first African American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. As someone who relishes the ability to do and say whatever I please, independence is a concept near and dear to my heart! Nor do I find the wisdom, foresight, and sense of justice exhibited by the Framers particularly profound. Some may more quietly commemorate the suffering, struggle, and sacrifice that has triumphed over much of what was wrong with the original document, and observe the anniversary with hopes not realized and promises not fulfilled. Thurgood Marshall : his speeches, writings, arguments, opinions, and reminiscences. “To protest against injustice is the foundation of all our American democracy." Thurgood Marshall Essay 1578 Words | 7 Pages. Maui, Hawaii, May 8, 1987 The Bicentennial Speech. They could not have imagined, nor would they have accepted, that the document they were drafting would one day be construed by a Supreme Court to which had been appointed a woman and the descendent of an African slave. Slaves could be imported, if the commercial interests of the North were protected. Thurgood Marshall Former Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States July 4, 1992 Independence Hall Philadelphia, PA It is a pleasure to speak … Thurgood Marshall But the effects of the Framers' compromise have remained for generations. It is a pleasure to speak here on the anniversary of our Nation’s independence. They were enslaved by law, emancipated by law, disenfranchised and segregated by law; and, finally, they have begun to win equality by law. Grandson of an enslaved person, Marshall lived … 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. (60 U.S.) 393, 405, 407408 (1857). They could not have imagined, nor would they have accepted, that the document they were drafting would one day be construed by a Supreme Court to which had been appointed a woman and the descendent of an African slave. On a matter so basic as the right to vote, for example, Negro slaves were excluded, although they were counted for representational purposes at threefifths each. 1, 52 (Sept. 17, 1787). In its place arose a new, more promising basis for justice and equality, the 14th Amendment, ensuring protection of the life, liberty, and property of all persons against deprivations without due process, and guaranteeing equal protection of the laws. Nor do I find the wisdom, foresight, and sense of justice exhibited by the Framers particularly profound. 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. On a matter so basic as the right to vote, for example, Negro slaves were excluded, although they were counted for representational purposes at threefifths each. It was not the first such compromise. We the People” no longer enslave, but the credit does not belong to the Framers. 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. Edition 1st ed. Patriotic feelings will surely swell, prompting proud proclamations of the wisdom, foresight, and sense of justice shared by the Framers and reflected in a written document now yellowed with age. Like many anniversary celebrations, the plan for 1987 takes particular events and holds them up as the source of all the very best that has followed. A Commission has been established to coordinate the celebration. The men who gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 could not have envisioned these changes. The Sword and the Robe. See Becker, The Declaration of Independence: A Study in the History of Political Ideas 147 (1942). we are to “recall the achievements of our Founders and the knowledge and experience that inspired them, the nature of the government they established, its origins, its character, and its ends, and the rights and privileges of citizenship, as well as its attendant responsibilities.” Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution, First Report, at 6 (September 17, 1985). The perpetuation of slavery ensured the primary source of wealth in the Southern States. Along the way, new constitutional principles have emerged to meet the challenges of a changing society. Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. “In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” 2. We will see that the true miracle was not the birth of the Constitution, but its life, a life nurtured through two turbulent centuries of our own making, and a life embodying much good fortune that was not. Thurgood Marshall Award. Very good possibility Kagan was quoting from a speech she wrote for Marshall. Thurgood Marshall Former Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States July 4, 1992 Independence Hall Philadelphia, PA. 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). 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. “You do what you think is right and let the law catch up.” 4. They were enslaved by law, emancipated by law, disenfranchised and segregated by law; and, finally, they have begun to win equality by law. Chicago, Ill., July 13, 1942. What is striking is the role legal principles have played throughout America's history in determining the condition of Negroes. Former Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As an attorney fighting to secure equality and justice through the courts, Thurgood Marshall helped build the legal foundation for Martin Luther King’s challenges to segregation. Some may more quietly commemorate the suffering, struggle, and sacrifice that has triumphed over much of what was wrong with the original document, and observe the anniversary with hopes not realized and promises not fulfilled. will, in my view, be a far more meaningful and humbling experience. It belongs to those who refused to acquiesce in outdated notions of "liberty," "justice," and "equality," and who strived to better them. Politicians and Judges around the country were praising the … The men who gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 could not have envisioned these changes. As a result of compromise, the right of the southern States to continue importing slaves was extended, officially, at least until 1808. Thurgood Marshall (July 2, 1908–January 24, 1993), whose great-grandparents were enslaved, was the first Black justice appointed to the United States Supreme Court, where he served from 1967 to 1991. United States Constitution, Art. 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