Civil Rights for the Twenty-First Century: Lessons from Justice Thurgood Marshall's Race-Transcending Jurisprudence

Authors

Sheryll Cashin, Georgetown University Law CenterFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2013

Abstract

This Essay pays tribute to justice Thurgood Marshall's race-transcending vision of universal human dignity, and explores the importance of building cross-racial alliances to modern civil rights advocacy. justice Marshall's role as a "Race Man" is evident in much of his jurisprudence, where he fought for years to promote equal opportunity and equal justice. As an advocate for all marginalized people, justice Marshall viewed equal justice as transcending race, and this Essay suggests that the multi-racial coalition that supported President Obama aligns with Marshall's vision. The Essay evaluates the civil rights movement through the lens of Justice Marshall's equality analysis, and calls for a multiracial coalition that transcends identity boundaries.

Publication Citation

17 Lewis & Clark L. Rev. 973-986

Scholarly Commons Citation

Cashin, Sheryll, "Civil Rights for the Twenty-First Century: Lessons from Justice Thurgood Marshall's Race-Transcending Jurisprudence" (2013). Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works. 1699.
https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub/1699