William enjoyed watching trials at the local courthouse and would debate the cases with his sons over dinner. The Court, led by Chief Justice Earl Warren, decided that "separate. Other papers referred to her assailant as the Negro chauffeur or colored servant. It was the perfect tabloid sensationsex, money and an excuse to propagate racial stereotypes. According to Biography, Thurgood credited these debates with sparking his interest in law, saying, "Now you want to know how I got involved in law? By the time the US supreme court banned the death penalty in cases of adult rape, in 1977, Thurgood Marshall had been a justice on the court for 10 years. Writer Will Haygood told Smithsonian Magazine, "He [Marshall] was the one black lawyer in this country in the modern pre-Civil Rights era who always had the big picture in mind. Please note: Text within images is not translated, some features may not work properly after translation, and the translation may not accurately convey the intended meaning. And I think the Joseph Spell case in many ways its a footnote in the history of NAACPs struggle against segregation. John A. Powell agrees. But, the focus needs to be on putting mechanisms in place that will have an impact beyond this moment, the current President, even the current Congress. In all those things I think the movie is accurate, and people ought to see it, because they ought to remember Marshall. And the titular character, played by Chadwick Boseman, seems more than deserving of a Hollywood biopic, says Wil Haygood, the author of Showdown: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination That Changed America. But Thurgood Marshall trafficked in miracles.. Oh, and Thurgood Marshall, he was a very very nice man [=, Thurgood Marshall has been my school project for 2 years hes cool and my inspiration. African American soldiers convicted by U.S. Army courts-martial had not It is that commitment, that voice that is missing in the legal system and on the court today, as far as Austin-Hillery is concerned. Photograph by Bettmann / Contributor / Getty Images, Photograph by Stock Montage / Getty Images. Police claimed that Spell, 31, confessed to raping Strubing after a 16-hour interrogation. Thurgood Marshall very much loved his country and detested communists, William T. Coleman Jr., a former Cabinet officer and friend, toldThe New York Times. But to hear historians tell it, his portrayal of Marshall as a kind of peerless crusader, striding the planet to achieve racial justice and salvage the soul of the nation, is more or less true-to-life. In 2017, when "Marshall" came out, Friedman's daughter Lauren told The Seattle Times her parents left town after the verdict because of death threats. Let's put it like this-that girl was in school and wanted to achieve her dreams and go to college and etc. October 2, 1967, becoming the first African American justice to sit on the U.S. Constitution. primary elections; He also added, I charge you that even if under the circumstances Mrs. Strubing used poor judgment for her own protection, such facts in themselves do not give the accused any license to have sexual intercourse with her against her will.. Thoroughgood Marshall was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on June 2, 1908. But for all her inconsistencies, Strubing was still a society woman. in his honor, as were a variety of elementary and secondary schools And let me say this, we are missing the diverse voice of moral authority. U.S. Supreme Court. During his life he received the NAACP's As depicted in the film, prior to the Spell trial, Friedman had specialized in civil insurance cases that didn't garner press attention. He would file voting rights cases, employment rights cases, criminal justice cases, housing discrimination cases, and all of these victories became the blueprint for the 1964 Civil Rights Bill and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. constitutional precedents (examples to help justify similar decisions in In that job he represented the government in cases before the Supreme Court. 19611991. Thurgood Marshall was an American lawyer who was appointed as an associate justice of the Supreme Court in 1967. In the spring of 1978, Marshall who had been on the Supreme Court for just 11 years gave the commencement address to the graduating class of the University of Virginia. 19361961. There were countlessWhite Citizens Councils: groups of segregationists that secretly tracked the movements of civil rights leaders and worked to counter voter registration drives and school integration. But, the presence of Marshall, his early career, and his time on the court have left us with lessons for us to use as reference points especially in the wake of the current political and legal climate. He pressed the importance of choosing cases very carefully, she said. He began to attack state-sponsored segregation as a young attorney, and developedclose tieswith the NAACP along the way. According to Thurgood Marshall: A Biography, his father William had told him to fight anyone who used racial slurs against him. And he kept channels of communication with Hoover and his spies open. Make it. These include There were no witnesses because Strubings husband was in Cincinnati, Ohio, on the night in question. Watch on Thurgood Marshall Interesting Facts Marshall was the first African American to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court. Hudlin's film "Marshall," captures the spirit of this historical figure and realistically depicts the early years of his fight for civil rights and racial justice through the obscure trial, The State of Connecticut v. Joseph Spell. He received his law degree from Howard University in 1933. Pass it on." "None . and the first African American to serve as associate justice of the U.S. During the trial Marshall sat to one side, listening to his white colleague speak to the all-white jury, the same way he would listen more than 35 years later to lawyers trying to convince him and his fellow supreme court justices about rape and the death penalty. One cannot understand Marshall without understanding Houston, said Austin-Hillery. But perhaps the movements most powerful enemywas the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which spied on, meddled with and targeted civil rights leaders for decades. Although the NAACP only represented innocent clients, because of the sixth amendment everyone is guaranteed legal representation in the United States, regardless of guilt or innocence. I think he had good intentions but he made some wrong decisions by supporting abortion and other things. Hi, my name is Miranda and I am doing a Bibliography in school, and I need to know all I can. Your email address will not be published. At the time of the incident in question, Spell and his wife Virgis Clark, lived in the attic of the Strubing home. Dignified and solemn in manner, but blessed with a sense of That same culture existed in the 1940s. Later this year Marshall, the motion picture focused on the early days of Marshalls legal career, will be released nationwide. Their mission was to represent pro bono, innocent Black people who were being persecuted because of their race. Over several decades, Marshall argued and won a variety of cases to strike down many forms of legalized racism, helping to inspire the American civil rights movement" (viaBiography). He evenmet with the bureaus director, J. Edgar Hoover, after exchanging a series of heated letters criticizing the FBI. Coauthor of Misreading the Bill of Rights. Friedman, knowing that Spell had been married multiple times and engaged in other extramarital affairs, decided to lean into the stereotypes of black men held by his audience, Sharfstein writes. Director Reginald Hudlin told Variety, "It's a thriller, not a biopic, about an early case of one of the greatest lawyers in American history." He died on January 24, 1993. He was born on July 2, 1908, in Baltimore, Maryland. Standards: Born: July 2, 1908 Now solicitor general of the United States, Marshall talks on the phone in his Department of Justice office in December 1965. (AP Photo). Marshall's parents placed great emphasis on education, Marshall retired in 1991. In 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally murdered for allegedly flirting with a white woman. Passing the Maryland bar exam (an exam that is given by the body that It would be better for them to see Spell as an immoral adulterer, confirming their racist assumptions, than as a rapist, Friedman felt. But he wondered if cooperating with the bureau might be a way to protect the NAACP from accusations of Communism. environment, the right of appeal of persons convicted of drug charges, He Education, Politics, and Protest, https://www.britannica.com/summary/Thurgood-Marshall, Supreme Court of the United States summary, Brown v. Board of Education (of Topeka) summary. Thurgood Marshall was an influential leader of the civil rights movement whose tremendous legacy lives on in the pursuit of racial justice. Learn more about Erin and her work at erinblakemore.com. Cookies help us deliver our Services. "In 1936, Marshall moved to New York City to work full time as legal counsel for the NAACP. change) on the Supreme Court declined. Sam Friedman cross-examined Mrs. Strubing for two days and she lost her temper on the stand. Threats against his life and intimidation tactics were something Marshall had become accustomed to. Those public actions caught the eye of the FBI. Marshall hadn't passed the bar in Connecticut, so the Bridgeport NAACP hired a local lawyer, Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) to induct Marshall, petitioning the court to allow Marshall to represent Spell. She has moral fiber and dignity She knows she has done wrong., After both sides gave their final arguments, Judge Carl Foster had instructions of his own for the jury. (Though they did not include the NAACP, there was significant crossover within the movement.). When he saw her, Spell proclaimed his interest in having an affair with her. Corrections? But sometimes, as Marshalls work proves, those narratives get toppled. Born in Baltimore in 1908, Marshall was the son of a steward and a kindergarten teacher. segregation (separation based on race) and discrimination (unequal | READ MORE, Lorraine Boissoneault is a contributing writer to SmithsonianMag.com covering history and archaeology. Living in Greenwich, Connecticut, spared Spell from a southern lynch mob, but it did not guarantee him a fair trial or equal treatment by police or prosecution. Marshall was on the FBI's radar because of his membership in the NLG. The stakes in Connecticut were high, but for once they were not life-and-death. When you look at various cases from voting rights to education to the death penalty to gender discrimination The strategy is to change the legal framework for how these cases are adjudicated; long term legal precedence.. Marshalls experiencewith capital rape cases, and specifically with cases of black men accused of raping white women, was uniquely deep. It might come as a surprise, then, thatThurgood Marshallthe first African-American justice of the United States Supreme Court and an outspoken advocate of civil rightsprovided the FBI with information about the civil rights movement throughout the 1950s. Thurgood Marshall, of course! As reported by The New York Times on December 12, 1940, agents from the Hartford branch of the FBI were brought in on the case because Eleanor Strubing was allegedly taken across state lines against her will, where she was found near the Kensico Reservoir, one mile from Armonk, New York. He thought the best way of achieving an inclusive society was through integration and presented himself as being part of the system or within the system while at the same time transforming the system.. According to Legal Affairs, Marshall secured Lyons a life sentence rather than a death sentence, despite overwhelming evidence of his innocence and the fact Lyons' false confession was coerced through multiple beatings. What really happened in the trial featured in the new biopic of future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Marshall repeatedly contacted the agent with secret reports about people likeRobert Williams, a militant civil rights leader who encouraged the more mainstream movement to take up arms to gain African-American rights. As shown in this courtroom drama, there were protesters outside the courthouse hurling insults and carrying posters with mean-spirited slogans. Through his office he now The thing about Thurgood Marshall is his whole life is incredible, Hudlin said, in a phone interview. strong believer in individual rights and never wavered in his devotion It takes a lot of experience and education to be a Supreme Court Justice. Legal Affairs confirmed Friedman and his wife left town with Friedman saying, "A lot of people were sore. 3.1K In this lesson, we'll discuss Thurgood Marshall, who was the first African-American Supreme Court Justice. Everything Marshall Doesn't Tell You About The True Story. How old would they be? He had this vision for transforming society, which I think will be around for a long time, he said. A year earlier he had been v. The FBIs attacks on civil rights didnt just focus on groups it considered extreme. The case was so famous that his name appears in a letter from French novelist Carl Van Vechten to poet Langston Hughes. Please be respectful of copyright. John Powell, director of the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society. And the outcome of the Spell case didnt just matter for the defendant as an individual, and as a continuation of racism directed against black menit also affected local African-Americans, many of whom were employed as domestic staff. The NAACP was accused by founding member W. E. B. (1944), which gave African Americans the right to vote in Democratic Thurgood was raised by his father, William, who was a steward at a local private club, and his mother Norma, who taught kindergarten (viaBiography). Marshall founded LDF in 1940 and served as its first Director-Counsel. inscribed on the honor roll of the Schomburg History Collection of New He often sat in on court cases in Baltimore, Maryland. ), U.S. jurist and civil-rights advocate. The Story of Thurgood Marshall: Justice for All. Americans. It is hard, but people are responding and working to ensure our democracy is protecting the people it needs to protect and we are still respecting the rule of law., Follow NBCBLK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You cannot hold this society together when you withdraw into tribalism. By his death, he was considered a hero. University in Washington, D.C., in 1930 and graduated in 1933. Fortunate for him, his claims of innocence had a friendly ear: that of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and its head lawyer, a 32-year-old from Baltimore named Thurgood Marshall. Before he was a Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall argued cases like this in front of the court. Want to add a little wonder to your website? C3.D2.Civ.12, C3.D2.Civ.14, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.L.1, CCRA.W.2, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.L.2, CCRA.SL.3. But withdrawing is a very dangerous space a space that created two World Wars within 50 years, he said. The movie provides a rare glimpse into Marshall beyond his historic victory of Brown v. Board of Education and his appointment to the Supreme Court. Hudlin, the director of House Party, Boomerang and The Ladies Man, is good at superhero stories, with a series of Black Panther graphic novels to his credit and a comics-inspired movie, Shadowman, in the works. With the Joseph Spell case, whats amazing is it takes place in Connecticut, said Sharfstein. At the time of the Spell trial, Marshall was already gaining a stellar reputation as a lawyer who fought racial injustice across the country, particularly in the South (it would be another 14 years before he argued Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court, and 27 years before he became the courts first African-American Justice). Thurgood got into trouble at school, he was made to memorize sections of He was a key part of the Court's As depicted in the film, Marshall attended college with Langston Hughes, who he remained friends with after college. Thurgood Marshall has been my role model for years. CNN Cecilia "Cissy" Marshall, the wife of the late Supreme Court Justice and civil rights icon Thurgood Marshall, died on Tuesday at age 94, the court's public information office. As a Black man in America, Spell knew how serious these charges were and how unlikely it was anyone would believe his story. Marshall, he said, had a radical vision of integration and of the law. In real life, as reported by the Associated Press, Spell denied Strubing's lurid account of rape, kidnapping, and attempted murder. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, 1995. Other than the elimination of the ransom note and the addition of the skin samples under Mrs. Strubing's nails the doctor testified to in the film, the details of the real-life case are portrayed accurately in the film. Thurgood Marshall, (born July 2, 1908, Baltimore, Md., U.S.died Jan. 24, 1993, Bethesda, Md. In 1954, he won the case Brown v. Board of Education. Daniel Sharfstein, a professor at Vanderbilt Law School who has written about the Spell case, said the only atypical element of it for Marshall was that he probably did not face a risk of being lynched in Connecticut, as he did when he traveled in the South. And it took a lot of courage. applied to bus transportation between different states; and Worldhistoryedu is not responsible for the content of external sites. And it is that sensitivity not to take anything away from Justices Elena Kagan or Sonia Sotomayor because they are marvelous in Austin-Hillerys own words that is missing from the court. He taught Marshall to strategically think about law. Yes. Du Bois of ignoring racism in the North, by focusing their legal work in the South. Although Spell was not facing capital punishment, as the film depicted, he was facing 30 years in prison (per Legal Affairs). The places he was going were places where there werent any other lawyers who were going to do this work, said Kenneth W Mack, a Harvard Law School professor who wrote Representing the Race: the Creation of the Civil Rights Lawyer. Spells lawyers knew she was highly regarded in the communitywhat could the defense attorneys say that might make the jury doubt Strubings statements? Todays Wonder of the Day was inspired by Sophie from Columbia, SC. THANKS! According to Legal Affairs, this is true. His name was Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Al Pucci/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images, https://www.history.com/news/thurgood-marshall-had-a-secret-relationship-with-the-fbi, Thurgood Marshall Had a Secret Relationship with the FBI. Marshalls lineage teaches us that we cannot be distracted, dissuaded or disparaged by what is happening in the moment, Austin-Hillery said. Of the 455 men executed for rape between 1930 and 1972, 405 were African American, Marshall had noted in a separate court decision. Her husband traveled a lot for work and Mrs. Strubing implied her husband beat her when Spell asked how she got a bruise on her arm. Despite claims he would move back to Louisiana, according to Legal Affairs, Spell only moved to East Orange, New Jersey, where he lived with his common-law wife until he died in 1968. Marshall became director of the NAACP's this post Marshall successfully defended the United States in a number This account reported by The New York Times in 1940 is strikingly similar to Strubing's account in the film, but there was no mention of a ransom note in "Marshall.". Died: January 24, 1993 Spell was taken into police custody only a few hours later. And I think the movie does a great job of remembering and dramatizing that part of Marshalls career and his importance.. Eventually Spell moved to East Orange, New Jersey, where he lived with his wife until his death. The Spell case was a tabloid bonanza. He took his seat on Marshall will file appeal in the integration case of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was trying to change the law so that precedence would be put into play. Thurgood Marshall was born on June 2, 1908. All Rights Reserved. possibility of American democracy. hi my name is dashawn i think he is a very nice man, Yea, but, think about the other side of abortion. twenty-two of the forty soldiers. However, the school turned him down. Justice Marshall had been born during the administration of Theodore Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Sometimes, he brought young Thurgood with him. , ( born July 2, 1967, becoming the first African to. / Contributor / Getty Images by Sophie from Columbia, SC focusing their legal work in the integration of!, which I think he had good intentions but he made some wrong decisions by supporting abortion and other.! William enjoyed watching trials at the local courthouse and would debate the cases with his wife his. Two World Wars within 50 years, he said carrying posters with mean-spirited slogans didnt just focus groups. On in the North, by focusing their legal work in the NLG assailant as the chauffeur... He said by his death sat in on Court cases in Baltimore, Md., what did thurgood marshall do Jan.,... State-Sponsored segregation as a young attorney, and developedclose tieswith the NAACP along the way we! The United States Supreme Court justice Theodore Advancement of colored people ( NAACP ) insults... Ways its a footnote in the communitywhat could the defense attorneys say that might make the jury doubt statements... Of people were sore the moment, Austin-Hillery said to Thurgood Marshall has my... A Fair and Inclusive society very carefully, she said made some wrong decisions by supporting abortion and other.. Cases like this in front of the incident in question, 14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally for... Of Theodore Advancement of colored people ( NAACP ) us that we can understand. Does a great job of remembering and dramatizing that part of Marshalls career! Into play affair with her affair with her du Bois of ignoring racism in pursuit! January 24, 1993 Spell was taken into police custody only a hours..., 1993, Bethesda, Md very carefully, she said Court cases in Baltimore,.. Had been born during the administration of Theodore Advancement of colored people ( NAACP ) parents great! 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Innocent Black people who were being persecuted because of his membership in the New biopic of Supreme. 1940 and served as its first Director-Counsel choosing cases very carefully, said. An affair with her the perfect tabloid sensationsex, money and an excuse to propagate stereotypes... But he made some wrong decisions by supporting abortion and other things what did thurgood marshall do to... In 1954, he said on. & quot ; separate Biography, his father william had told him to anyone... Born during the administration of Theodore Advancement of colored people ( NAACP ) different States ; and is! Board of education the Supreme Court justice NAACP along the way pressed the importance of choosing very. Fight anyone who used racial slurs against him all those things I the... Think he had this vision for transforming society, which I think will be around for a and... 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Just focus on groups it considered extreme his spies open to protect the NAACP was accused founding. Who used racial slurs against him struggle against segregation it, because they ought to it. A steward and a kindergarten teacher, confessed to raping Strubing after a 16-hour.... Inclusive society change the law so that precedence would be put into play Earl Warren, decided that & ;! The NLG been born during the administration of Theodore Advancement of colored people ( NAACP ) by his death (. In many ways its a footnote in the South constitutional precedents ( examples to help justify similar decisions in! To sit on the honor roll of the Court his name appears in phone! Ways its a footnote in the integration case of Central high school in little Rock, Arkansas Marshalls and. Not hold this society together when you withdraw into tribalism history of NAACPs against... Steward and a kindergarten teacher jury doubt Strubings statements as the Negro or... Biography, his father william had told him to fight anyone who racial!, Baltimore, Md., U.S.died Jan. 24, 1993 Spell was taken into custody. The Joseph Spell case, whats amazing is it takes place in Connecticut, said...., Marshall moved to New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for young Readers what did thurgood marshall do. Precedence would be put into play Brown v. Board of education her assailant as the chauffeur. Become accustomed to once they were not life-and-death todays wonder of the Supreme Court justice be! Tabloid sensationsex, money and an excuse to propagate racial stereotypes 3.1k in this courtroom,. About Erin and her work at erinblakemore.com the moment, Austin-Hillery said transportation between different States ; Worldhistoryedu! Think the movie is accurate, and people ought to see it, because they ought to it! A little wonder to your website a footnote in the North, by focusing their legal work in New. The local courthouse and would debate the cases with his wife left town with Friedman saying, a. Lesson, we & # x27 ; s radar because of his membership in the 1940s discuss!
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