I haven't forgotten you, friends...
11/02/2017
Sam Chan
11/02/2017
Sam Chan
Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice
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His StoryThurgood Marshall, born Thoroughgood Marshall (he changed his name to Thurgood in 2nd grade because he disliked the spelling), was one of the most influential champions of Civil Rights in the history of our nation. While perhaps Martin Luther King Jr., a well-known pastor who preached nonviolent disobedience to fight against segregation and discrimination, and Malcolm X, a fiery Black Muslim who advocated for violent actions against his opponents (under the umbrella of a concept known as black power), were more famous, none was more influential than Marshall himself. His Civil Rights revolution, which started and was fought in the courts, led to dramatic, sweeping changes in the political and social fabric of American society. Growing up in Maryland, Marshall experienced a lot of discrimination, segregation, and overt racism constantly--this fueled his passion for progressive, radical change for the voiceless. Always a naughty and playful person, he frequently got in trouble--his punishment was to read the Constitution--ironically, this probably sparked his interest in law. He graduated from Lincoln University and then Howard University, where he was introduced to the NAACP. For years, he was an very successful open advocate for African-American rights, and his landmark case as prosecutor in Brown v. Board of Education was the beginning of the end for the era of segregation. He went on to become a federal judge under Kennedy, the Solicitor General under Johnson, and finally, the first ever African-American Supreme Court Justice, where he served 23 years as one of the most radical and progressive justices in American history.
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†he ℳarshall Legacy is dedicated to commemorating the life and legacy of Thurgood Marshall, who has, along with other important Civil Rights leaders, caused immense changes in our country, with ramifications affecting us even today. In memory of him, we have compiled thousands of unique passionate stories about Thurgood Marshall's life in our database and have selected a few that we think best exemplifies Marshall's true impact.
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