[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14540]
[From the U.S. 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 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.

                          ____________________