[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 9, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1415-E1416]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         EXPRESSING SUPPORT OF THE THURGOOD MARSHALL RESOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 9, 2008

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my support of the 
Thurgood Marshall Resolution that recognizes the 100th birthday of 
Thurgood Marshall, introduced by Congressman Donald M. Payne.
  Thurgood Marshall was one of the America's most important leaders of 
the civil rights revolution and architects of affirmative action. Being 
born as a grandson of a slave in Baltimore, MD, Marshall grew to become 
the Nation's first African-American Supreme Court justice and a 
recognized fighter for equal rights and integration. Marshall, who was 
rejected by the University of Maryland Law School because of his race 
when he applied, eventually earned his law degree from Howard 
University. And again, when he was refused the opportunity to practice 
law, he became the lead attorney for the Legal Defense Fund of the 
National Association for the Advancement

[[Page E1416]]

of Colored People. Marshall firmly believed that only through racial 
integration could equality of opportunity be achieved for blacks and 
whites in our society. Throughout his life Thurgood Marshall worked to 
abolish the legacy of slavery and eliminate the racist segregation 
system. His most famous successful legal case, Brown v. Board of 
Education, created historic precedent and stopped the separation of 
black and white children in public school. The victories of his Supreme 
Court cases led to enormous accomplishments for the American people in 
the areas of housing, education and voting.
  In recognizing the 100th anniversary of Thurgood Marshall's birthday, 
we are not only honoring his life and superior accomplishments, but 
also continuing his noble mission. This great man's lifelong struggle 
to end racial bias and discrimination is highly meaningful and 
inspiring. Marshall fought for legal protection of children, women, 
elderly, homeless and prisoners. His role in ending legally sanctioned 
inequality and segregation which had created an American apartheid was 
of critical importance and deserves the Nation's recognition.

                          ____________________