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Thurgood Marshall: A Legacy of Justice and Equality

Denzel Hayes

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Published in Thurgood Marshall: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies)

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Thurgood Marshall was an American lawyer and civil rights activist who served as the first African American Supreme Court Justice. He played a key role in the civil rights movement, and his work helped to dismantle the Jim Crow system of segregation and discrimination. This biography provides a comprehensive overview of Marshall's life and career.

Thurgood Marshall: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies)

by George F. Will

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1496 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	169 pages

Early Life and Education

Thurgood Marshall was born on July 2, 1908, in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents were William Marshall, a waiter, and Norma Marshall, a schoolteacher. Marshall attended public schools in Baltimore and graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in 1925. He then attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where he graduated with a degree in political science in 1930.

After graduating from Lincoln University, Marshall attended Howard University School of Law. He graduated with honors in 1933 and was admitted to the Maryland bar the following year. Marshall began his legal career as a lawyer for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He quickly became one of the organization's most successful lawyers, and he played a key role in dismantling the Jim Crow system of segregation and discrimination.

Civil Rights Activism

Marshall's civil rights activism began in the early 1930s, when he joined the NAACP. He quickly became one of the organization's most successful lawyers, and he played a key role in dismantling the Jim Crow system of segregation and discrimination. Marshall argued several landmark cases before the Supreme Court, including Brown v. Board of Education, which ended school segregation in the United States.

In addition to his work with the NAACP, Marshall also served as a legal advisor to the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He was a close friend and advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr., and he played a key role in the civil rights movement.

Supreme Court Justice

In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Marshall to the Supreme Court. Marshall was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 69 to 11, and he became the first African American Supreme Court Justice. Marshall served on the Court for 24 years, and he wrote many important opinions that helped to shape American law.

Marshall's most famous opinion was his dissent in the case of Bush v. Gore, which decided the 2000 presidential election. Marshall argued that the Supreme Court's decision to stop the recount of votes in Florida was a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. Marshall's dissent was a powerful indictment of the Court's decision, and it has been cited by many legal scholars as one of the most important dissents in the Court's history.

Legacy

Thurgood Marshall was a brilliant lawyer and a tireless advocate for civil rights. His work helped to dismantle the Jim Crow system of segregation and discrimination, and he paved the way for future generations of African Americans. Marshall's legacy is one of justice, equality, and hope.