SJ 253 — Celebrating the life of Cecilia Suyat Marshall.

SESSION INTRODUCEDENROLLED 23101981D I SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO.

253 OfferedE January 11, 2023 N Prefiled January 10, 2023 T Celebrating the life of Cecilia Suyat Mar––––––––––Marshall. R Patrons––Saslaw, Barker, Boysko, Deeds, Edwards, Favola, Hanger, Hashmi, Howell, Locke, McPike, Spruill and Vogel;

Delegates:N Agreed to by the Senate, January 12, 2023 R Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 16, 2023 O WHEREAS, Cecilia Suyat Marshall, former legal secretary of the NAACP, esteemed civil rights L of the Falls Church community, died on November 22, 2022;

Adams,and D.M.,Thurgood Clark,Marshall, Glass,and Hope,a Jenkins,beloved Kory,member Maldonado,L Rasoul,WHEREAS, Shin,born Sickles,in Simonds,Maui, WareHawaii, andto WattsPhilippine Dimmigrants, ––––––––––Cecilia WHEREAS,"Cissy" CeciliaMarshall Suyatwent Marshall,to formerlive legalE secretarywith ofrelatives thein NAACP,New esteemedYork civilin rights1948, Uwhere activist,she devotedattended wifenight ofclasses thein latestenography U.S.at Columbia University;

Supremeand CourtD Justiceas Thurgooda Marshall,stenographer and aas beloved Cember of the Fallsprivate Churchsecretary community,to diedthen ondeputy Novemberexecutive 22,director 2022;Dr.

and with relatives in New York in 1948, where she attended night classes in stenography at ColumbiaEe University;

and D WHEREAS, Cissy Marshall began her professional career at the NAACP shortly thereafter, working as a stenographer and as the private secretary to then deputy executive director Dr.

and WHEREAS, Cissy Marshall took on greater responsibilities by supporting what was then known as the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the arm of the NAACP that became Legal Defense FundEducation (LDF),and includingaccompanying typingNAACP briefslawyers foron landmarkperilous schooltrips desegregationto casesthe suchDeep asSouth; Brown v.

Boardandas of EduWHEREAS, on December 17, 1955, shortly after the Brown v.

Board of EducationS decision,WHEREAS, Cissyon MarshallDecember and17, Thurgood1955, Marshall,shortly theafter lead attorney in that case, founder, and then director-coun2el of the NAACPBrown Legalv. Defense and Educational Fund, were married in a wedding at the historic St.

Philip'3Board Episcopalof ChurchEducation decision, Cissy 2 Marshall and Thurgood Marshall, the lead attorney in Harlem;that case, founder, and then director-counsel of th3 NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, were married in a wedding at the historic St.

andPhilip's WHEREAS,R EpiWHEREAS, Cissy Marshall and her family relocated to Falls Church in 1965 after Thurgood Marshall was appointed by President Lyndon B.

and WHEREAS, in later years, Cissy Marshall fostered her husband's legacy as the first Black American to serve on the United States Supreme Court through her work with the Supreme Court Historical 33andiety, Society, on which she served for many years as vice president of the organization's executive committee;

34 and 35 WHEREAS, after her husband's death, Cissy Marshall kept his legacy alive through interviews, 36 speaking engagements, and service on LDF's Board of Directors, which she joined in 1988;

proud of what her husband and his colleagues achieved, she always emphasized the work that was left to be done;

she remained an active member of LDF's board of directors for many years and served over the tenuretenWHEREAS, ofCissy fiveMarshall ofwas the organization'srecipient eightof presidentsnumerous awards from LDF and directors-counsel;lent her name and support to their efforts to support young civil rights lawyers, most recently through the launch of LDF's Marshall-Motley Scholars Program;

and WHEREAS, Cissypredeceased Marshallby washer thehusband, recipientThurgood, ofCissy numerousMarshall awardswill frombe LDFfondly remembered and lentmembers her name and supportfriends; to their efforts to support young civil rights lawyers, most recently through the launch of LDF's Marshall-Motley Scholars Program;

andnow, WHEREAS,therefore, predeceased by her husband, Thurgood, Cissy Marshall will be fondlyitand remembered and dearly missed by her sons, Thurgood, Jr., and John, and their families;

and by numerous other family membersRESOLVED andby friends;the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Cecilia Suyat Marshall, a cherished member of the Falls Church community whose outsized role in the civil rights movement impacted countless lives;

now,and, therefore, be it notepresentation withto great sadness the lossfamily of Cecilia Suyat Marshall,Marshall aas cherishedan memberexpression of the FallsGeneral ChurchAssembly's communityrespect whosefor outsizedher rolememory. in the civil rights movement impacted countless lives;

and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Cecilia Suyat Marshall as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for her memory.