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President Kennedy has named two Negroes to District Judgeships and appointed Thurgood Marshall to the United States Court of Appeals. When I came to the Department of Justice, there were only ten Negroes employed as lawyers; not a single Negro served as a United States Attorney - or ever had in the history of the country. That has been changed.
Robert Kennedy
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote highlights the progress made in racial equality within the judicial system in the United States.

Robert Kennedy's quote reflects on significant advancements in the representation of African Americans within the U.S. judicial system, noting the appointments of two Black judges and the hiring of Black lawyers within the Department of Justice. This change marks a historical shift, illuminating the challenges of the past while also celebrating the progress made towards a more inclusive legal framework.

Themes

ChangeJusticeEqualityRaceAdvancement

In practice

Example use cases

During a speech on civil rights, this quote can emphasize the importance of diversity in leadership.

More from Robert Kennedy

If freedom makes social progress possible, so social progress strengthens and enlarges freedom. The two are inseparable partners in the great adventure of humanity.
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Elections remind us not only of the rights but the responsibilities of citizenship in a democracy.
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Within the United States, we have put great emphasis upon political freedoms. Because it has been our experience that these freedoms can lead to others.
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It is one thing to open job opportunities. It is another to train people to fill them, or to persuade American enterprise to seek Negro as well as white applicants.
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Our attitude towards immigration reflects our faith in the American ideal. We have always believed it possible for men and women who start at the bottom to rise as far as the talent and energy allow. Neither race nor place of birth should affect their chances.
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The Gross National Product measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country. It measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile, and it can tell us everything about America - except whether we are proud to be Americans.
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