Blackness, Becoming, and the Bench: Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival (Bronze, 2 Points)

On September 23, 2025, I attended the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival. Specifically, I attended the screening of Becoming Thurgood, a film which centers around Justice Thurgood Marshall and his journey to become the first supreme court justice. From this film, I learned about how Marshall’s time at Howard University School of Law informed his approach to law. Shaped by professor Charles Hamilton Houston, Marshall internalized that his responsibility as a lawyer was to be a social architect and as a result, he sought to become a "defender of the dignity of black people.” As I think about my own aspirations, I resonate with this desire to serve and sculpt society. Similarly to Marshall, I also feel pressure to excel, understanding that my accomplishments will be attributed to my race.

With the current state of the judiciary, I was particularly struck by Marshall’s trust in the appellate court. Marshall saw the higher courts as the saving grace for justice. Although within lower courts it was almost certain that the rights of Black people would be violated and that bias would permeate judicial decisions, at the appellate court level, there was a chance for justice to be realized. While unfortunately that same cannot be said today, this insight allows me to better contextualize and understand Marshall’s legal strategy. Moreover, his willingness to still take on fights that would likely be lost reminds me that just because a loss is probable does not mean it is not worth fighting.

Finally, Becoming Thurgood humanized Marshall for me. Often, I have viewed changemakers like him in a titan-like, superhero manner; however, from this, I now recognize his ordinariness. While at Lincoln, he did not study. Even during the height of his legal career, he feared. For me, this is an important reminder that changemakers are imperfect, and that what separates them is their ability to act despite limitations. 

-Sydney Curry