April 8, 2002 – St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce members, guests and potential members will get the first look at the nationally-touring exhibit, "Marching Toward Justice – The History of the 14th Amendment and A Tribute to Thurgood Marshall", from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11.
The V. I. Bar Association, which will host the Business After Hours event, has arranged the premiere through the Damon J. Keith Law Collection of African-American Legal History at Wayne State University, creator of the exhibit.
Tom Bolt, president of the association, explained that the association's purpose in bringing the exhibit to the Virgin Islands is "to inform the public about the fundamental importance of the 14th Amendment and the nation's continuing quest to realize the high ideals of the Declaration of Independence."
The exhibit highlights the struggle for the adoption of the 14th Amendment and its effect on the legal status of African-Americans, according to the release.
The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states in its Section 1, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law."
The Chamber will offer door prizes, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, and the Chamber's famous $2 bar.
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