NATCHITOCHES – Before Thurgood Marshall ascended to the U.S. Supreme Court, he served as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s counsel and eventual director, planning the decades-long legal strategizing that resulted in landmark world-changing decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education. On February 10, at 5:30 p.m., Northwestern State University will host a free, public screening of “Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect,” beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, followed by a panel discussion, in the NSU Student Union Ballroom.
The panel will include Judges Monique Freeman Rauls and David Williams of the Louisiana 9th Judicial District Court; Michael McClanahan, Louisiana NAACP State Conference President; Dr. Carmella Parker, NSU faculty member and former Assistant Attorney General of Louisiana, and Dr. Rebecca Riall, NSU faculty member and practicing attorney.
“I’m grateful that we have individuals from around the state joining us to honor a man that changed our nation,” said Dr. Jasmine Wise, coordinator of Black Studies and the Gail Metoyer Jones Center at NSU.
The documentary explores how Justice Marshall’s life led him to his roles as one of the litigators who “broke Jim Crow” and, ultimately, a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Marshall’s mentor Charles Hamilton Houston famously said that “a lawyer is either a social engineer or a parasite on society.” Marshall chose to be a social engineer.
As Parker explained, “Thurgood Marshall was a brilliant legal tactician whose courage dismantled the very barriers that would have prevented me from accessing various educational opportunities. Justice Marshall wielded the law as an instrument of liberation, transforming the landscape of American justice with each meticulously crafted opinion.”
The event is cosponsored by the NSU NAACP chapter.
“This celebration is an opportunity for students and community members to learn more about that legacy and how the NAACP continues that work right here at NSU today,” said Morgan Swafford, president. “The audience will have a chance to ask questions of the panel and learn more about how Marshall’s legacy, both before and after his appointment to the Supreme Court, continues to impact us today.”
That heritage is felt strongly by the event organizers.
“His extraordinary legacy continues to illuminate the path forward, inspiring generations to pursue justice with both intellect and conviction. I am deeply honored to stand on his shoulders,” said Parker.
Swafford echoed that sentiment, adding, “As students at Northwestern State and members of the NAACP, we stand on the shoulders of leaders like Justice Thurgood Marshall who used courage, education, and the law to create lasting change.”
“From the viewpoint of history, it’s easy to assume that Brown was a foregone conclusion and that justice would be done, ending Jim and Jane Crow,” said Riall. “Instead, Brown was the result of a long legal strategy, led by attorneys like Hamilton and Marshall who themselves were treated as unequal. The legal ingenuity, innovation, courage, faith in justice and decades of work that they poured into this line of cases created a framework for almost every advance in civil rights for any group in that generation.”
The event is part of NSU’s Black History Month celebrations.
“Thurgood Marshall was a prolific lawyer, judge and orator. Honoring his legacy and the impact he made on our country is a must during Black History Month,” explained Wise.
“His legacy reminds us that justice is not automatic. It requires people who are willing to speak up, organize and serve their communities,” concluded Swafford.
The event is cosponsored by Black Studies, Pre-Law & Paralegal Studies, Gail Metoyer Jones Center, and the NSU NAACP chapter. The screening rights were provided through partnership with Louisiana Public Broadcasting. “Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architec”t is a production of Maryland Public Television, made possible with an appropriation from the State of Maryland for the Center for Maryland History Films. Funding for the film is also provided by Morgan State University, Theralogix, Sage Policy Group and Allan and Shelley Holt (through the Hillside Foundation).
For more information, contact Wise, coordinator of Black Studies, at wisej@nsula.edu, or Riall, coordinator of Pre-Law and Paralegal Studies, at riallr@nsula.edu.