Our whole constitutional heritage rebels at the thought of giving government the power to control men's minds.
Thurgood MarshallRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the notion of America as a melting pot, highlighting the exclusion or marginalization of people of color.
Thurgood Marshall's quote conveys a profound observation about the concept of the United States as a 'melting pot' where diverse cultures blend into a single identity. Instead of inclusive assimilation, he suggests that people of color have either been left out of this process or have been assimilated in ways that diminish their identity, prompting a critical reflection on racial inequality and social justice in America.
Themes
Melting PotRaceInclusionIdentityEquality
In practice
Example use cases
Discussing racial equality during a community gathering.
More from Thurgood Marshall
All quotes →I cannot accept this invitation [to celebrate the bicentenial of the Constitution], 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 MarshallRead
When in Gregg v. Georgia the Supreme Court gave its seal of approval to capital punishment, this endorsement was premised on the promise that capital punishment would be administered with fairness and justice. Instead, the promise has become a cruel and empty mockery. If not remedied, the scandalous state of our present system of capital punishment will cast a pall of shame over our society for years to come. We cannot let it continue.
Thurgood MarshallRead
If the First Amendment means anything, it means that a state has no business telling a man, sitting alone in his house, what books he may read or what films he may watch.
Thurgood MarshallRead
In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.
Thurgood MarshallRead
I have a lifetime appointment and I intend to serve it. I expect to die at 110, shot by a jealous husband.
Thurgood MarshallRead
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