By Ariyana Griffin
AFRO Staff Writer
agriffin@afro.com
Legislation led by Maryland lawmakers, aimed at preserving a significant part of Baltimore history, could help the elementary school of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall receive designation as a National Historic Site.
The Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site Establishment Act of 2024 was introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate by Congressman Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-07), along with U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) on Nov. 21.
The legislation would establish Public School 103, located at 1315 Division Street in Baltimore, as a National Historic Site and also integrate it into the National Park System.
According to the bill, “the purpose of this Act is to preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit of future generations the significant historic contributions of Justice Thurgood Marshall by establishing the elementary school he attended as a national historic site and providing for the site’s administration as an affiliated area of the National Park System.”
Justice Thurgood Marshall was a distinguished civil rights lawyer and founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund. His dedication to fighting against injustices and racial discrimination led him to win 29 of the 32 civil rights cases he argued before the United States Supreme Court, including Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 which prompted the end of racial segregation in public schools. In 1967, he became the first African American to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
“Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall’s accomplishments, intellect and determination are inspiring for this generation and all those to come. His history – his upbringing and early education, his challenges and his successes – are intertwined with Baltimore history and need to be preserved and celebrated,” Senator Cardin said in a statement. “I’ve been proud to work with Congressman Mfume, Senator Van Hollen, Senator Mikulski, Rev. Hathaway and others who truly understand the significance of P.S. 103 and what a resource it can be for West Baltimore and the nation.”
Public School 103 was initially built in 1877 with the intention to be used for the area’s white immigrant population; however, in 1911, it transitioned and became a segregated school for African American students. Thurgood Marshall attended the institution from 1914 to 1921, where he matriculated from first through eighth grade.
Beloved Community Services Corporation, Inc., a Baltimore-based 501 (3)(c) organization, was the driving force behind the $15 million effort to revitalize the school for adaptive reuse. $1 million in congressionally directed funding was also used to help revive the school and make it a place for educational programming.
The building was finished being remodeled in December last year and officially opened its door to the public on July 2, 2024, which would have been Justice Thurgood Marshall’s 116th birthday.
Now renamed the Justice Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center, the site will not only preserve history but serve as a hub for educational programs and research. According to a statement, “universities, non-profits, and even the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport will rent out classrooms for educational programs,”offering a wealth of learning opportunities for future generations.
“Justice Thurgood Marshall will be to Baltimore as The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. is to Atlanta,” Rev. Dr. Alvin Hathaway, President and CEO of Beloved Community Services Corporation, said in a statement. “The Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site will be the economic catalyst the Upton/Marble Hill Community needs to ignite a renaissance in cultural and historic storytelling. It will be a place that empowers, educates and informs future generations on the importance of early education as the vehicle that shapes our society.”
The post Advocates call for Thurgood Marshall’s elementary school to gain National Historic Site designation appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
