Remembering the legacy of Baltimore native Thurgood Marshall ahead of July celebration
BALTIMORE -- This Sunday, July 2, marks Justice Thurgood Marshall's 115th birthday. There is a celebration planned Sunday at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
WJZ is the proud media sponsor of the event, and will be streaming performances live from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Ahead of the celebration, here's a look back at the incredible contributions Marshall made to Baltimore, and how he changed the nation.
Before he served on the bench of our highest court, and before he won the landmark case that brought an end to segregation in public schools - Thurgood Marshall attended a segregated public school in Baltimore.
There, Marshall's father – a waiter – introduced him to the courtroom at an early age, taking him and his brother to watch trials as a hobby.
Then, in what is now known as Frederick Douglass High School, a prank landed Marshall in the principal's office. His punishment? To read the Constitution of the United States.
Even the obstacles of life in segregated Baltimore would help propel the career of the man who would one day be called "Mr. Civil Rights."
When The University of Maryland denied his Law School application because of his race, Marshall went to Howard University, where the dean inspired him not just to make a living as a lawyer, but to fulfill a calling.
Five years after his own denial, Marshall sued the University of Maryland on behalf of another Black student and won. He was part of the team that launched successful legal battles against the university on behalf of Parren Mitchell and Hiram Whittle, who were denied admission based on their race.
In 1950, Mitchell became the first Black student to take graduate classes on the College Park campus, and a year later, Whittle enrolled as the university's first Black undergraduate student.
Marshall went on to argue the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which declared segregation unconstitutional. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1967, and held the role of associate justice for 24 years.
The experiences and challenges Marshall found in Baltimore helped shape the lawyer who would help shape our nation into a country ever striving for equality and justice for all.
