Thurgood Marshall Sworn In, Becomes First Black on U.S. Supreme Court
by: Dr. Clint Wilson
It was a signal moment in U.S. history when African Americans everywhere came to the realization that one of their own was actually seated on the highest court in the land.
Thurgood Marshall, who had been in the forefront of legal battles on behalf of civil rights and the destruction of segregation, was now going to have a direct role in influencing and interpreting the country’s laws.
Although Marshall had been nominated for the post by President Lyndon Johnson some four months earlier, it wasn’t until he was officially installed that Black Americans could finally believe that a judicial system that had often been their biggest impediment to first class citizenship would now have Black representation.
As usual, the Black Press expressed the mood of its readership during a momentous historical event and the first lady of Black journalists, Ethel Payne, recorded it for posterity.
IT WAS A DAY TO REMEMBER AS MARSHALL TOOK AN ...
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