The Life and Legacy of Chief Justice Earl Warren

A discussion with Jim Newton, author of the well-reviewed biography, "Justice for All : Earl Warren and the Nation He Made". Newton served as reporter, editor, and bureau chief of the LA Times for close to twenty years.
Recorded on February 19, 2007.

[@averygibbs6745]

hi my name is Avery I am earl warrens great granddaughter my grandfathers name is Robert warren the youngest child of all of them it is amazing to see and hear him talk about him and tell all of his stories from his child hood and he is a absolutely amazing grandfather

[@snifflesischristian2369]

Hi Avery Jibbs are really you Mr. warrens great granddaughter?

[@averygibbs6745]

@@snifflesischristian2369 yes! His son Robert Warren is my grandfather

[@snifflesischristian2369]

@@averygibbs6745 I've spent the last few days reading up on your great grandfather. The man is something of an icon in today's time. :)

[@averygibbs6745]

@@snifflesischristian2369 I’m sure he would have really appreciated your kind words he was a very good man and I love hearing all the story’s from my grandfather sometimes I’m suprised at the amount of people who have no clue who he is but besides that I’m very thankful for the people who do know about him and can carry on telling others about him or even just continue to read on him or read his books

[@leehawkins5795]

Hi Avery......... my mother worked at the state capital for 10 years during your great grandfathers Administration..........she LOVED her job.......she began her employment in 1942 , after she graduated high school ..........she shared stories with her 3 children about the exciting times working for Gov. Warren........one afternoon she was invited to the Governors Mansion and had tea with Mrs. Warren.........about a year after she started her job she became very ill.......her dr. advised her to not work and have a lengthy rest and recovery at home.......she told her friends at the capital that she didn't want to leave her job,because she was afraid she might lose it........a few days later your great grandfather walked in her office and sat down on the side of the desk........he had heard what she told her friends.......he told her that she should do what her dr advised.......and with tears in his eyes he told her about his niece who had been very ill , as she was. .......he told her that she was a teenager and she didn't want to quit school to rest and recover and she passed away.......he told my mother " your job will be waiting for you when you return"........about 6 - 8 months later she was healthy again .......she returned to the capital and her job that she loved.........that story is in Ed Cray's book "Earl Warren"...........he called my mother and interviewed her for the book he was writing........I was there at the time and overheard my mother talking with Mr.Cray...........I now own photos and memorabilia from my Mother's collection from her 10 years working at the capital.........she was married in 1951.........her employment ended in 1952 ,the year my brother was born............working for your great grandfather were some of the happiest years of her life...........many years later, in the 80's and 90's employees she worked with got together once a month for a luncheon at a restaurant ........a few names you might recognize .......Helen MacGregor.........Betty Foot (Henderson).......Pop Small ...............I hope you see my comment🙂 ............Lee in Sacramento,CA 🇺🇲

[@tomdegan6924]

Thank you for this. Invaluable.

[@gaelgarciaisagod]

Great talk. Thanks for posting!

[@KemptonLam]

Thanks for sharing this great talk. In recent years, I've come to the realization that we should not idolize great men and women of the past no matter how important their accomplishments were. We shouldn't gloss over great men/women's tragic mistakes (and sometimes unforgivable mistakes) witness Chief Justice Warren's role in the interment of Japanese Americans as Mr. Jim Newton discussed at timecodes 12:31 & 12:51

[@sreengleen]

Very informative - why couldn't anyone bring this man a glass of water??!!

[@Michael1966W]

Did you know Mike Judge the creator of Beavis and Butthead and king of the hill is related to Earl Warren

[@CanadaMath]

They play in the streets together, they separate to go to school
`John, if this case goes before the Supreme Court. . . I'm gonna need you'
It's the early 1950's, in America. The governor of South Carolina (James Francis Byrnes), in his 70's at the time, pays a visit to his friend, the famous John W. Davis. Davis had argued 138 cases in front of the Supreme Court. Byrnes was turning to him for help.
Byrnes was determined to show that discrimination and segregation of public schools were not the same thing. He wanted black school children to have equal schools. He was ashamed of the terrible condition the black schools were in, in his state of South Carolina. He even levied a three percent sales tax to fund the improvement of black schools. He was prepared to spend 75 million dollars to improve the public schools for black children in his state.
But he knew, that the small case that a few courageous people (Harry Briggs, Reverand J.A. Delaine) had started in Clarendon county, SC, was too big of an issue for his efforts alone. The case was on it's way to the Supreme Court of the United States of America.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (the NAACP), had become involved. Their head lawyer, Thurgood Marshall had combined this case and 4 other similar cases (from Delaware, Kansas, DC and Virginia) into one called 'Brown v. Board of Education', and made it his mission to strike down segregation in public schools in America.
The great thing about this movie is how it makes each side look respectable. The movie does not make this a 'bad evil white men against poor suffering black people' type of story. But rather, the film, portrays the white men as being highly respected, educated and willing to do the right thing. But at the same time, very concerned and perhaps even afraid of the consequences of their decisions.
I also loved the humor in this film. For example when Byrnes is conversing with Davis and says 'I admit to past sins, our colored schools are a disgrace'. Or when one of the lawyers at the NAACP legal defense fund says about the South Carolina case "If we win this one, we'll only have 11,172 school districts left"
The heart of this film is the uncommon courage of the people. Courage among so many involved. Of course, first from the blacks from those small towns, who risked their jobs and safety, and faced the hate of the Ku Klux Klan, by taking these complaints to their local lawyers. Then, to the NAACP, for climbing this long and expensive uphill battle. But also, to the judges on the Supreme Court, and in particular the Chief Judge Earl Warren.
Warren was quoted as saying 'Everything that I did in life that was worthwhile, I caught hell for'. What a difficult decision, but what a remarkable effort on his part to unite the nine members of the Supreme Court to conclude the case with a unanimous decision to end segregation in public schools in America.
It took a lot of brave people on both sides, to end separation of black and white school children in public schools. Perhaps Thurgood Marshall summed it up best, when he mocked the thinking of people in the south by saying 'you can have them attending the same State Universities and Graduate schools, but if they attend the same elementary and high schools together, the world would fall apart.'
A wonderful treasured movie. Must see for all.