Word

Fifty years ago today – Oct. 2, 1967 – Thurgood Marshall was sworn in by Chief Justice Earl Warren as the first black justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

If you’re not familiar with his amazing story, look it up. For this space, I am marking my recent resurrection of the #RandomQuote among my Facebook and Twitter feeds by gathering several quotes from Justice Marshall. I’m setting up each so anyone can copy and paste a quote as-is, should there be a desire to share.

“None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“The measure of a country’s greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“I wish I could say that racism and prejudice were only distant memories. We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust…We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“Equal means getting the same thing, at the same time and in the same place.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“Lawlessness is lawlessness. Anarchy is anarchy is anarchy. Neither race nor color nor frustration is an excuse for either lawlessness or anarchy.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“Truth is more than a mental exercise.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“Our whole constitutional heritage rebels at the thought of giving government the power to control men’s minds.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“I have a lifetime appointment and I intend to serve it. I expect to die at 110, shot by a jealous husband.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“We got here because somebody – a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns – bent down and helped us pick up our boots.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“We cannot ignore what we really want to create.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“Each of you, as an individual, must pick your own goals. Listen to others, but do not become a blind follower.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“We deal here with the right of all of our children, whatever their race, to an equal start in life and to an equal opportunity to reach their full potential as citizens.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“To protest against injustice is the foundation of all our American democracy.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote

“The process of democracy is one of change. Our laws are not frozen into immutable form, they are constantly in the process of revision in response to the needs of a changing society.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall #RandomQuote