In a ceremony Tuesday, Maryland lawmakers unveiled an exhibit at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport that honors the judicial accomplishments of the airport?s namesake.
Legislators said the exhibit, as well as the airport?s name change, was an “overdue” tribute to Marshall, a Baltimore native who won the landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case and later became the first black man to serve on the Supreme Court.
“This airport is a gateway,” Gov. Robert Ehrlich said. “In a different context, Thurgood Marshall was a human gateway to the civil rights movement.”
The official name change went into effect Oct. 1, 2005, after Ehrlich signed a House of Delegates bill sponsored by Baltimore Democrat Emmett Burns Jr.
“This is as good as it gets [in] a state,” Ehrlich said, “It is the right and appropriate thing to do.”
The exhibit, at the center of the airport terminal, chronicles Marshall?s life and accomplishments through an interactive display, including family photographs and audio tape. It also includes a bust of Marshall created by Maryland artist Toby Mendez.
Lt. Gov. Michael Steele said the name change and the exhibit would serve as an educational tool for the millions of travelers who walk through the airport each day.
“It is particularly significant for our younger Marylanders, who may not be familiar with [Marshall?s] legacy,” Steele said. “He honored us by his example, and we are proud to honor him in this small way.”
Marshall?s widow, Cecilia, said her husband would also want those travelers who see the exhibit to remember “the countless numbers of unsung heroes,” of the civil rights movement.
