“In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” — Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall (b.1908 – d.1993) was a Civil Rights Pioneer, Presidential Medal of Freedom Awardee and, in 1967, he became the first African-American Justice of the Supreme Court. He is most recognized for Brown v. Board of Education (of Topeka) —the 1954 ruling that ended de jure (legal) racial segregation— in which he fought for equal protection under the law and challenged the precedent of “separate but equal” established in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).
Enter Lateral Raises whose anatomical focus is the shoulder(s), one of the most mobile joints in the human body. Its range of motion makes the shoulder responsible for important functional movements —pushing, pulling and lifting— but also makes it highly unstable. But upon some shoulders balances the weight of the world as was the case with our contemporary Titan, Thurgood Marshall who stood at the borders of mobility and stability. His scales of justice helped to engineer one of the greatest social transformations in American history. Stand thatground.
Recommended Reading: Devil in the Grove: Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America
Exercise Difficulty: Beginner – Difficult, dependent on load
Strengthens: Shoulders (Primary)
Execution: Hold weight in each hand in front of thighs with palms facing each other and laterally raise arms simultaneously until arms are parallel to floor. Slowly lower arms back to starting position and repeat. Engage core and maintain posture to ensure control and rhythmic lifting and lowering pace. Breathe deeply throughout.
Contraindications (Inadvisable): Shoulder, Thoracic Spine (Upper Back) Impairment
Watch the move: THURGOOD MARSHALLs / Lateral Raises
The Fit Cycle 