Marshall Fundamental School Proposes Name Change to Honor Civil Rights Icon

The Pasadena secondary school has submitted Board Report 1791-F proposing to change its name from John Marshall Fundamental Secondary School to Thurgood Marshall Secondary School. The change would honor the first Black Supreme Court Justice while also removing the “fundamental” designation that administrators say no longer reflects the school’s comprehensive offerings.

“As stated in the letter, the legacy of our school’s namesake is not aligned with our school’s essential mission and character, and we are proposing to change our name to honor the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall as a lawyer and Justice Thurgood Marshall’s legacy is one of undaunted persistence, academic excellence and an unwavering belief that an equitable society is good for all,” school representatives told the Board of Education during their December 12 meeting.

“Fundamental schools were intended to feature a more traditional approach to schooling a back to basics curriculum where agriculture, homemaking, hygiene, and citizenship were prioritized over the arts and extracurriculars,” administrators explained. “The fundamental ideals no longer align with PUSD’s mission of preparing students for success in an ever evolving world with a commitment to cultural responsiveness and academic excellence.”

The school, which operates without an attendance boundary, now offers comprehensive programming that includes “a thriving arts program, academy of Creative Industries, Puente program, a robust AP program” with a 76% exam pass rate and “a tremendously successful athletics program with multiple CIF championships.”

School officials emphasized their “EAGLE values” which they define as “embrace diversity, act responsibly, graduate prepared, lead with integrity, engage in learning and succeed.” They noted these values align with Thurgood Marshall’s legacy as “a civil rights attorney who tried and won the historic Brown versus Board of Education case in 1954, which is established that separate but equal schools were unconstitutional leading to the desegregation of schools.”

The school plans to present its evolution during centennial celebration events scheduled for January 24th and 25th at the Marshall campus, where they “will celebrate the school’s rich history and its current successes as we move forward to an amazing future.”