Howard University News June 23, 2017 Mrs. Cecilia Marshall, widow of The Honorable Thurgood Marshall Visits Howard University This summer the campus of Howard University was permeated with eager to learn HBCU students from both near and far who were members of the Pre-Health, Pre-Law, and for the first time this summer, Pre- Ph.D. cohorts. "In accordance with Howard's original commitment to provide education for all, the vision for the programs is to expose a diverse pool of HBCU students to the professional programs that Howard has to offer and to provide them with the skills needed to be successful in their respective fields." said, President Frederick. The Pre-PhD program (PPSEP) was created to increase the level of interest in careers available to Ph.D. holders in the humanities and social sciences among undergraduate African American and minority students. "We were very fortunate to have been given this opportunity. PPSEP gave us the tools to fulfill our goals of advancing our knowledge of our respective disciplines. Our motivations were reinforced during the closing ceremony with Mrs. Marshall, who encouraged us to 'never give up and be hopeful in the pursuit of our dreams.'"- Howard University members of the PPSEP Cohort The Pre-Law Scholars Summer Enrichment Program (PLSEP) was, in keeping with the mission of the Howard University School of Law, designed to prepare under-represented minority students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) across the country for legal careers. On June 23, 2017, during a special closing program, the students from both the PPSEP and the PLSEP cohorts were welcomed by Mrs. Cecilia Marshall, a mother, daughter, champion for social justice and the widow of The Honorable Thurgood Marshall. "My desire to organize this event, inviting Mrs. Marshall specifically, stemmed from a life-changing opportunity I had to meet with her during our sesquicentennial Charter Day celebration. I was blown away by her grace, wit, and her ability to bring stories to life that most people have only had the opportunity to read on paper. I knew that this would be the quintessential closing experience for the students who participated in the Pre- Law and Pre-PhD programs this summer-the trailblazers of our future." said, President Frederick. Mrs. Marshall walked into the room, and stillness filled the air. Though small in stature, her personality and influence were magnanimous. She welcomed the students by exclaiming, "so nice meeting all of our future Thurgood Marshalls. I hope you all succeed and you have my best wishes. We need lawyers like you." The students and faculty members eagerly discussed Mrs. Marshall life's work, her journey and asked her questions ranging from what were Justice Marshall's proudest moments in life, what was it like to work for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People during the Brown v. Board of Education era and what was it like to be a woman during the movement. "Mrs. Marshall provided us with major insight on her personal experience advocating for racial justice and provided us with guidance on how to use our challenges as catalysts to evoke change in America."- Howard University members of the PLSEP Cohort Mrs. Marshall welcomed the questions emphasizing that her husband's proudest moments were witnessing the professional successes of their sons. She was adamant that "God was looking out" for her by allowing her to work for the NAACP. Mrs. Marshall shared that having been born in Hawaii, she did not know much about race relations and the NAACP is where she learned about racial injustices. As the event came to a close, Mrs. Marshall recalled a time when she would travel with the NAACP and be denied entrance in most hotels because of racism. Thank goodness we have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. So it will be up to you to bring [this nation] up to par, said Mrs. Marshall. SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta, GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org/ sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org%3cmailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org>> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/