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Biography: Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993)
By Curt Lader
Thurgood Marshall was born twelve years after the infamous Plessy v. Ferguson decision, a Supreme Court case that established the "separate but equal" doctrine. Arguing the case of Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court in 1954, he convinced the nine justices to strike down the Plessy decision and end racial segregation in public schools.
His Early Years
Marshall grew up in Baltimore Maryland. His mother was a teacher and his father was a headwaiter. Marshall graduated from Lincoln University with honors and from Harvard Law School in 1933 with highest honors. He immediately went to work for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as legal counsel and fought against discrimination in the Maryland law school that rejected his application. Marshall was appointed in 1939 as Legal Defense Director for the NAACP, serving until 1961. Two of the most famous cases he argued and won were Shelly v. Kramer (1948), a case resulting in making housing discrimination illegal and perhaps the most famous case in Supreme Court history, Brown v. Board of Education (1954). This resulted in a unanimous Supreme Court ordering the desegregation of schools with "all deliberate speed."
Marshall on the Court
Thurgood Marshall was appointed in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy to the Second Court of Appeals over objections from southern democratic senators. He wrote 112 opinions, none of which were overturned. After a short stint as Solicitor General for the United States, arguing and winning cases for the government, President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 nominated Thurgood Marshall as the first African American Associate Supreme Court Justice. He was confirmed by a 69-11 vote and established a legacy on the court writing opinions that furthered individual rights, civil rights, abortion rights, rights of the accused and rights of Native Americans. Marshall retired from the court in 1991 due to ill health. Thurgood Marshall died in 1993 at the age of 84. He will always be remembered as a fighter and a man of principle.
This essay was submitted by Curt Lader, a social studies teacher in New York.
Activity Suggestions
- Thurgood Marshall is known for being the first African American on the Supreme Court. Review a case he ruled on and write a brief summary of it. Then explain if you agree with his ruling or not and why in a short essay.
- Thurgood Marshall is famous for being a lawyer for the Brown v. Board of Education case. What was the case about? How has it changed schools since the 1954 case? Outline your answer in a short essay.
- Many people consider Thurgood Marshall to be a hero for his work toward equal rights. Design a monument honoring him. It could be a statue, building, or other structure. Make a diorama of the monument. Give it a name and decide where it should be located.
- What qualities did Thurgood Marshall have to help him meet his challenges? Make a list of the qualities and why you think he had each in a short essay.
- Thurgood Marshall's father taught him that the Constitution is the way things ought to be. In a short essay, explore how Marshall followed this advice through his life's work.
- Do you think one person's work can make a difference to the world? Explain why or why not in a short essay.
- Go to the jimcrowhistory.org Web site for more information on Thurgood Marshall.
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