In an overflowing auditorium at the Law School last night, Henry Marsh, a civil rights activist, spoke about his experiences as a lawyer and political leader in the aftermath of the civil rights movement.
Julian Bond, NAACP chairman and University history lecturer, and Michael Klarman, a Law School professor, sat on the panel interviewing Marsh.
The discussions focused on the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education and the impact of the case on blacks.
Henry Marsh was a college student in 1954 when the Supreme Court handed down the Brown decision. He first involved himself in politics as Student Council president of Virginia Union University. He attended Howard University Law School and then became a lawyer in Richmond.
Marsh was elected the first black mayor of Richmond and now serves as a state senator.
Marsh said "massive resistance" of whites against desegregating schools caused him to fight for a change and eventually go into politics.
"The courts would never bring about change fast enough for me," he said. "I don't care how many court decisions are made, they must be backed by political appointments and elections."
Bond introduced Marsh and briefly spoke on the Brown decision and its legacy. He referenced changes in America by tracing his own family's progress, beginning with his grandfather, who was a slave, and continuing through to his own experiences.
Bond said the Brown decision was crucial to the desegregation of schools but did not have an immediate effect. It took over 500 lawsuits to make a difference.
He described the resistance of whites at the time and their efforts to keep schools segregated.
"The American education dollar follows the white child," Bond said.
After the panel discussion, the floor opened to audience questions.
In response to one audience question, Marsh reminded young people, especially blacks, to get involved in the fight for equality by joining organizations like the NAACP.
"Don't underestimate the power of one person," Marsh said.
The forum was the beginning of a series, sponsored by the Institute for Public History, on black leadership during the civil rights movement.
Marsh said he was flattered to be the first person interviewed in the series.
"I especially enjoyed the question-answer period, because I learned a lot from the students," he said.
Oliver Hill, another key civil rights leader and Marsh's mentor, was supposed to participate in the forum but could not attend because of illness.
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