Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site Establishment Act of 2025
This bill would designate the Public School 103 building at 1315 Division Street in Baltimore as the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site, an affiliated area of the National Park System. The school, which Thurgood Marshall attended, would be preserved and interpreted as part of a national historic site, but the ownership and operation of the building would remain with the Beloved Community Services Corporation (a nonprofit). The National Park Service (NPS) would provide technical assistance and may enter into cooperative agreements to support marketing, interpretation, and preservation, while explicitly not taking on ownership or financial responsibility for the property. The bill authorizes appropriations as needed to carry out these purposes. Overall, the act aims to recognize and interpret Marshall’s contributions to civil rights history without transferring ownership or day-to-day management to the federal government.
Key Points
- 1Establishes the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site as an affiliated area of the National Park System, centered on Public School 103 (1315 Division Street, Baltimore).
- 2The School shall remain owned, operated, and managed by the Beloved Community Services Corporation; the federal government does not take ownership.
- 3The Beloved Community Services Corporation is designated as the management entity for the National Historic Site.
- 4The Secretary of the Interior’s role is limited to providing technical assistance and entering into cooperative agreements with the management entity for marketing, interpretation, and preservation, plus delineating roles and responsibilities consistent with National Park policies.
- 5The Secretary is not authorized to acquire the property or assume financial responsibility for operation, maintenance, or management of the site.
- 6The Secretary may provide support through agreements that align with National Park System standards and policies.
- 7Authorization of appropriations: Congress may appropriate funds as necessary to carry out the act.
- 8The site’s significance is grounded in Thurgood Marshall’s civil rights legacy, including his work with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Brown v. Board of Education decision.