Adopted May 6, 2006

Support for the Inclusion of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in the "Book of Lesser Feasts and Fasts"

Resolution 2006-14

Submitted by:
Commission on Anti-Racism

RESOLVED, that the 222nd Convention of the Diocese of Maryland, meeting May 5-6, 2006, supports the 111th Convention of the Diocese of Washington’s adopted Resolution # 1 “to ask the 2006 General Convention to include Justice Thurgood Marshall in the Book of Lesser Feasts and Fasts;” and

BE IF FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Convention ask the Bishop of Maryland to declare May 17 to be a day to commemorate the Christian witness of Justice Marshall throughout the diocese; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of Convention is directed to submit this Resolution as a Memorial to the appropriate committee of the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church for its consideration and action.

Explanation

Thurgood Marshall was born and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a member of St. Katherine of Alexandria in Baltimore, attended Baltimore City Public Schools, Lincoln University and graduated from Howard University Law School. He was denied entrance to the University of Maryland Law School because he was a Negro. He later successfully sued the University, which led to the opening of its doors to minority students.

From the beginning of his law career in 1933 until his retirement from the Supreme Court in 1991, Justice Marshall dedicated his life to the fight for equality and justice especially through civil rights advocacy and litigation. He is particularly remembered for leading the team of lawyers in the Brown vs. Board of Education case. This court decision, made on May 17, 1954, paved the way for many new legal and social changes to American society.

Justice Marshall should be included in the “Book of Lesser Feasts and Fast,” not because he was an Episcopalian and a Supreme Court Justice, but because he was a person who demonstrated his faith through action in difficult and turbulent times. His inclusion would also be representative of all the lawyers, political activists, educators and children who fought for human dignity and justice for all.