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Mere access to the courthouse doors does not by itself assure a proper functioning of the adversary process.

Thurgood Marshall

The First Amendment serves not only the needs of the polity but also those of the human spirit – a spirit that demands self-expression .
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Expression Human Need Service Spirit
I cannot accept this invitation for I do not believe that the meaning of the Constitution was forever ‘fixed’ at the Philadelphia Convention… To the contrary, the government they devised was defective from the start. [Progressive]
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Acceptance Believe Constitution Forever Government Myself Start
None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. 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.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Help Journey Ourselves Parents Teacher
It is now well established that the Constitution protects the right to receive information and ideas.This right to receive information and ideas, regardless of their social worth, is fundamental to our free society.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Constitution Establishment Freedom Fundamental Ideas Ourselves Protection Right Society Worth
A child born to a Black mother in a state like Mississippi… has exactly the same rights as a white baby born to the wealthiest person in the United States. It’s not true, but I challenge anyone to say it is not a goal worth working for.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Black Born Children Goal Myself Person Right True White Worth
Sometimes history takes things into its own hands.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Hands History
Some years ago I said in an opinion that if this country is a melting pot, then either the Afro-Americans didn’t get in the pot or he didn’t get melted down.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Country Melt Myself Nation Opinion Time
In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Humanity Ourselves Pay Recognition Respect
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.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Change Democracy Law Oneself Recognition Response Society
Classifications and distinctions based on race or color have no moral or legal validity in our society. They are contrary to our constitution and laws.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Color Constitution Law Moral Ourselves Race Society
A man can make what he wants of himself if he truly believes that he must be ready for hard work and many heartbreaks.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Believe Hard Work Heart Broken Himself Man True
Do what you think is right and let the law catch up.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Law Right Thinking Yourself
The death penalty is no more effective a deterrent than life imprisonment. It is also evident that the burden of capital punishment falls upon the poor, the ignorant and the underprivileged members of society.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Death Fall Ignorance Life Poor Prison Privilege Society
History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Endurance History Liberty Right Teaching Threat
Lawlessness is lawlessness. Anarchy is anarchy is anarchy. Neither race nor color nor frustration is an excuse for either lawlessness or anarchy.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Color Excuse Frustration Law Race
The United States has been called the melting pot of the world. But it seems to me that the colored man either missed getting into the pot or he got melted down.
THURGOOD MARSHALL

Color Himself Man Missing World

Mere access to the courthouse doors does not by itself assure a proper functioning of the adversary process.

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Mere access to the courthouse doors does not by itself assure a proper functioning of the adversary process.

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