To All: Excuse the long post but today is a special day and as I surveyed the photos attached and tears welled up in my eyes at certain photos of my Elders/Heroes, I needed to share this: The NAACP Legal Defense Fund marked the 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education with a special luncheon at the National Press Club. The event, which celebrated the 60th anniversary of what is today acknowledged as one of the greatest Supreme Court decisions of the 20th century, featured remarks by the Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General of the United States, and was emceed by MSNBC host, Karen Finney. In addition, there was a conversation with the Honorable Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts and the Honorable L. Douglas Wilder, Former Governor of Virginia, moderated by award-winning journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault, one of the first two African-American students to integrate the University of Georgia. Cecilia Marshall, widow of NAACP LDF founder Thurgood Marshall, was honored with the NAACP LDF’s Spirit of Justice Award for her commitment of service to her community and the pursuit of justice and equality for all. Also recognized at the event was Jack Greenberg, who successfully argued Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court alongside Thurgood Marshall and went on to serve as LDF’s second Director-Counsel. Here are some photos, most touching for me was the one of Mrs. Marshall and her youngest son, John. A note on Mrs. Cecilia “Cissy” Suyat Marshall (like her late husband a proud Episcopalian - St. Augustines Parish in Washington, DC): Born July 20, 1928 in Puunene, Maui, Hawaii, her parents were among the first immigrants to Hawaii in 1910 from the Philippines Island. In 1948, she journeyed to the Big Apple to live with her maternal aunt and uncle, who were completing their Masters at Columbia University. She immediately began taking night classes in court stenographer at Columbia University. During that same year, she got a position as a secretary to the National Director of the NAACP branches in New York. While working at the NAACP branches, Cissy admitted receiving her “first baptism to the racial challenges” and has been motivated since to help make a difference in the lives of others. She met and married Thurgood Marshall in December 1955. Thurgood Marshall was a widow - his late 1st wife was Vivien Buster Burey. Thurgood and Cissy were married until he died in 1993, and had two sons together: Thurgood Marshall, Jr., a former top aide to President Bill Clinton; and John W. Marshall, a former United States Marshals Service Director and Virginia Secretary of Public Safety. Other pictures include Jack Greenburg (the 2nd LDF Director), Charlayne Hunter-Gault (integrated the University of Georgia), Gov. Deval Patrick (a LDF Alum) and Gov. Doug Wilder (1st Gov. of a Stat since Reconstruction - Virginia).
Posted on: Sun, 18 May 2014 00:01:42 +0000