Former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank praised the so-called Warren Court on Wednesday night at Northeastern University, saying that its panoply of landmark decisions in the 1950s and ’60s lent “legal force to the repudiation of bigotry.”
Former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank praised the so-called Warren Court on Wednesday night at Northeastern University, saying that its panoply of landmark decisions in the 1950s and ’60s lent “legal force to the repudiation of bigotry.”
Frank was referring to the U.S. Supreme Court between 1953 and 1969, when Earl Warren served as chief justice. Under his leadership, the court banned the segregation of public schools; ruled that the Constitution protects a general right to privacy; and declared that indigent criminal defendants have a constitutional right to a court-appointed lawyer.
“The Supreme Court under Warren brought about enormous transformation,” said Frank, who represented Massachusetts’ 4th district from 1981 to 2013. “It gave force to the dissatisfaction with bigotry,” he said, “yet it was also harshly criticized at the time.”
Frank discussed the Warren Court in 20 West Village F, delivering sharp-witted remarks to approximately 200 students, faculty, and community members. He and former federal judge Nancy Gertner were the latest guest speakers in this fall’s Open Classroom series, which is titled “1965: A 50-Year Retrospective on the 1960s and Lessons for Today.” The course, which is free and open to the public, is being led by Michael Dukakis, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, and Barry Bluestone, the founding dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs.
“The Supreme Court under Warren brought about enormous transformation. It gave force to the dissatisfaction with bigotry, yet it was also harshly criticized at the time.” – Former U.S. Representative Barney Frank.
From Woodstock and the women’s movement to the space race and the war on poverty, many iconic moments from the tumultuous decade have already been examined. On Wednesday, the discussion centered on the ins and outs of the U.S. Supreme Court in the era known as the “sixties.”
