first black member of the supreme court and lawyer who fought against segregation

Who was the first black Supreme Court justice?

Oct 02, 2020 · How Thurgood Marshall became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court justice. As a civil rights attorney, he won a landmark case to end segregation in public schools—then fought to uphold those gains ...

Who was the first black Solicitor General?

Thurgood Marshall was the nation’s first African American Supreme Court Justice. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland on July 2, 1908. After graduating from Lincoln University with honors, Marshall applied to the University of Maryland Law School and was rejected because of race. This set the tone for the rest of Marshall’s career.

What did the Supreme Court say about segregation in schools?

Mar 04, 2021 · The case originated in New Orleans as one of two test cases set up by a group of Creole of color activists. By appealing to the highest court in the land, the men behind Plessy v. Ferguson sought to halt the rolling back of major civil rights gains Black people achieved during Reconstruction. Their defeat in 1896 marked the end of an era of ...

Was Thurgood Marshall the first black justice?

Nov 16, 2019 · Thurgood Marshall was a successful civil rights attorney, the first African American Supreme Court justice and a prominent advocate for racial equality.

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Mar 11, 2021 · When a Black man named Tony Pace and a white woman named Mary Cox challenged the law, the Supreme Court upheld it—on grounds that the law, inasmuch as it prevented whites from marrying Black people and Black people from marrying whites, was race-neutral and did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment.

Who was the first black justice on the Supreme Court?

Who was the first African American Supreme Court justice and a naacp lawyer?

Who was the African American attorney who fought segregation?

Who is the Black Supreme Court justice?

Who was the first female Supreme Court justice?

Who was the first Black lawyer?

How did Thurgood Marshall fight against segregation?

Who appointed Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court?

Who was the first black supreme court justice?

Thurgood Marshall. Thurgood Marshall was a civil rights lawyer who used the courts to fight Jim Crow and dismantle segregation in the U.S. Marshall was a towering figure who became the nation's first Black United States Supreme Court Justice.

Who was the first black justice?

Four years later, President Lyndon B. Johnson named Marshall U.S. solicitor general and on Aug. 30, 1967, Marshall was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and joined the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming the first Black justice.

What did Marshall do for the Supreme Court?

During his nearly 25-year tenure on the Supreme Court, Marshall fought for affirmative action for minorities, held strong against the death penalty, and supported of a woman's right to choose if an abortion was appropriate for her.

What was the impact of Marshall's rule on the Supreme Court?

His mission was equal justice for all. Marshall used the power of the courts to fight racism and discrimination, tear down Jim Crow segregation, change the status quo, and make life better for the most vulnerable in our nation.

What was Marshall's first legal case?

After graduating from Howard, one of Marshall's first legal cases was against the University of Maryland Law School in the 1935 case Murray v. Pearson. Working with his mentor Charles Hamilton Houston, Marshall sued the school for denying admission to Black applicants solely on the basis of race.

What was Marshall's most famous case?

Marshall's most famous case was the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case in which Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren noted, "in the field of public education, the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.".

Where did Marshall go to law school?

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Marshall graduated from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 1930. He applied to the University of Maryland Law School but was rejected because he was Black. Marshall received his law degree from Howard University Law School in 1933, graduating first in his class.

Who was the lawyer who represented the NAACP?

Soon, Marshall began taking cases for the NAACP and was hired as part-time legal counsel in 1935. As his reputation grew, Marshall became known not only for his skill as a lawyer but also for his bawdy sense of humor and love of storytelling. In the late 1930s, Marshall represented Black teachers in Maryland who were receiving only half the pay that White teachers earned. Marshall won equal-pay agreements in nine Maryland school boards and in 1939, convincing a federal court to declare unequal salaries for public school teachers unconstitutional.

What was Marshall's role in the Brown vs Board of Education case?

Board of Education, a major step in the fight to desegregate American schools. The 1954 Brown decision is considered one of the most significant civil rights victories of the 20th century.

How many cases did Thurgood Marshall win?

Overall, between 1940 and 1961, Marshall won 29 of the 32 cases he argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. Brown v. Board of Education. In 1951, a court decision in Topeka, Kansas became the stimulus for Thurgood Marshall's most significant case.

Why was Marshall sent to Dallas?

For another case, Marshall was sent to Dallas to represent a Black man who had been summoned for jury duty and who had been dismissed when court officers realized he was not White. Marshall met with Texas governor James Allred, whom he successfully persuaded that Black Americans had a right to serve on a jury.

Why was Marshall important to the NAACP?

Marshall became increasingly active in the local NAACP, recruiting new members for its Baltimore branch. Because he was well-educated, light-skinned, and dressed well, however, he sometimes found it difficult to find common ground with some of the other Black members. Some felt Marshall had an appearance closer to that of a White man than to one of their own race. But Marshall's down-to-earth personality and easy communication style helped to win over many new members.

How long did the Brown debate last?

The debate went on for three days . The Court adjourned on Dec. 11, 1952, and did not convene on Brown again until June 1953. But the justices did not render a decision; instead, they requested that the attorneys supply more information. Their main question: Did the attorneys believe that the 14th Amendment, which addresses citizenship rights, prohibited segregation in schools? Marshall and his team went to work to prove that it did.

Where did Marshall go to law school?

After graduating from Lincoln in 1930, Marshall enrolled at Howard University Law School, a historically Black college in Washington, D.C., where his brother Aubrey was attending medical school. Marshall's first choice had been the University of Maryland Law School, but he was refused admission because of his race.

What was the case that Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka?

483 (1954), the case in which the Supreme Court ruled that " separate but equal " public education, as established by Plessy v. Ferguson, was not applicable to public education because it could never be truly equal.

Who appointed Marshall to the Second Circuit?

President John F. Kennedy appointed Marshall to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1961 to a new seat created on May 19, 1961, by 75 Stat. 80. A group of Senators from the South, led by Mississippi's James Eastland, held up his confirmation, so he served for the first several months under a recess appointment. Marshall remained on that court until 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him to be the United States Solicitor General, the first African American to hold the office. At the time, this made him the highest-ranking black government official in American history, surpassing Robert C. Weaver, Johnson's first secretary of housing and urban development. As Solicitor General, he won 14 out of the 19 cases that he argued for the government and called it "the best job I've ever had."

What was Marshall's most famous case?

Florida, 309 U.S. 227 (1940). That same year, he founded and became the executive director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. As the head of the Legal Defense Fund, he argued many other civil rights cases before the Supreme Court, most of them successfully, including Smith v. Allwright, 321 U.S. 649 (1944); Shelley v. Kraemer, 334 U.S. 1 (1948); Sweatt v. Painter, 339 U.S. 629 (1950); and McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents, 339 U.S. 637 (1950). His most historic case as a lawyer was Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), the case in which the Supreme Court ruled that " separate but equal " public education, as established by Plessy v. Ferguson, was not applicable to public education because it could never be truly equal. In total, Marshall won 29 out of the 32 cases he argued before the Supreme Court.

When was Marshall confirmed as a Justice?

Marshall was confirmed as an Associate Justice by a Senate vote of 69–11 on August 30, 1967 (32–1 in the Senate Republican Conference and 37–10 in the Senate Democratic Caucus) with 20 members voting present or abstaining. He was the 96th person to hold the position, and the first African American.

Where did Marshall practice law?

After graduating from law school , Marshall started a private law practice in Baltimore. He began his 25-year affiliation with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1934 by representing the organization in the law school discrimination suit Murray v. Pearson. In 1936, Marshall became part of the national staff of the NAACP.

Who played Thurgood Marshall in Black History Month 2011?

Video commemorating Thurgood Marshall's life with the screening of Thurgood, a play starring Laurence Fishburne at the White House as part of Black History Month 2011. The Video discusses Marshall's life and legacy. Screening of Thurgood at the White House. Audio only version.

Who was Thurgood Marshall?

Education. Lincoln University, Pennsylvania ( BA) Howard University ( LLB) Thurgood Marshall (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American lawyer and civil rights activist who served as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from October 1967 until October 1991. Marshall was the first African-American ...

Who was the first African American to be elected to the Supreme Court?

Thurgood Marshall was instrumental in ending legal segregation and became the first African American justice of the Supreme Court.

Who was the first black attorney general?

In 1965, Kennedy's successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, appointed Marshall to serve as the first Black U.S. solicitor general, the attorney designated to argue on behalf of the federal government before the Supreme Court.

What was the first case to undermine the legal basis for de jure segregation in the United States?

Pearson in January 1936, the first in a long string of cases designed to undermine the legal basis for de jure racial segregation in the United States. Chambers v. Florida. Marshall's first victory before the Supreme Court came in Chambers v.

What was the Supreme Court case that Marshall won?

Another crucial Supreme Court victory for Marshall came in the 1944 case of Smith v. Allwright, in which the Court struck down the Democratic Party's use of white people-only primary elections in various Southern states.

Why was Marshall rejected from law school?

Despite being overqualified academically, Marshall was rejected because of his race. This firsthand experience with discrimination in education made a lasting impression on Marshall and helped determine the future course of his career.

What did Marshall do in 1934?

Over several decades, Marshall argued and won a variety of cases to strike down many forms of legalized racism, helping to inspire the American civil rights movement.

Where did Marshall study law?

Marshall studied law at Howard University. As counsel to the NAACP, he utilized the judiciary to champion equality for African Americans. In 1954, he won the Brown v. Board of Education case, in which the Supreme Court ended racial segregation in public schools.

Who were the leaders of the Creole movement during the reconstruction era?

Stalwarts of the Reconstruction era, including newspaper editor Paul Trevigne, joined forces with emerging leaders like Rodolphe L. Desdunes and Louis A. Martinet. Now a young man in his 20s, Homer Plessy was part of this next generation of activists.

What was the Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson?

Ferguson, upholding a state’s right to segregate the races in “separate but equal” facilities.

What is the significance of the 1868 Plessy lithograph?

(THNOC, 1979.183) Yet, as Homer Plessy entered his teen years, a compromise resolving the contested 1876 presidential election ended Reconstruction , and conservative white Democrats quickly gained power in Louisiana.

What case reversed the Plessy ruling?

A 1970s cartoon by John Churchill Chase recalls Plessy v. Ferguson and the 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education, which reversed the Plessy ruling. (THNOC, Gift of John Churchill Chase and John W. Wilds, 1979.167.18 a)

What is the plaque at the site of Plessy's arrest?

A plaque at the modern-day site of Plessy's arrest commemorates the role of the Citizens' Committee in the struggle for civil rights. (Photograph by Eli A. Haddow)

Who was arrested in the white car?

The Crusader cheered, “Jim Crow is Dead as a door nail.”. The Committee’s second case required Homer Plessy to get arrested in the “white” car on an intrastate trip. On June 7, 1892, Plessy booked a ticket on the East Louisiana Railroad to travel across Lake Pontchartrain.

When was the violation of a constitutional right published?

A pamphlet titled The Violation of a Constitutional Right was published by the Citizens’ Committee in 1893. (THNOC, 58-70-L)

Who was the first black justice?

In 1967, following the retirement of Justice Tom C. Clark, President Johnson appointed Marshall, the first Black justice, to the U.S. Supreme Court, proclaiming it was “the right thing to do, the right time to do it, and the right man and the right place.”

Which case successfully defended four convicted Black men who were coerced by police into confessing to murder?

Chambers v. Florida (1940): Marshall successfully defended four convicted Black men who were coerced by police into confessing to murder.

What was Thurgood Marshall's role in the Civil Rights Movement?

Sources. Thurgood Marshall—perhaps best known as the first African American Supreme Court justice—played an instrumental role in promoting racial equality during the civil rights movement. As a practicing attorney, Marshall argued a record-breaking 32 cases before the Supreme Court, winning 29 of them.

How many cases did Marshall win?

As a practicing attorney, Marshall argued a record-breaking 32 cases before the Supreme Court, winning 29 of them. In fact, Marshall represented and won more cases before the high court than any other person.

What was Marshall's first major court case?

Life as a Lawyer. In 1935, Marshall’s first major court victory came in Murray v. Pearson, when he, alongside his mentor Houston, successfully sued the University of Maryland for denying a Black applicant admission to its law school because of his race.

When did Marshall get his law degree?

In 1933, Marshall received his law degree and was ranked first in his class. After graduation from Howard, Marshall opened a private practice law firm in Baltimore.

Which case ruled that the death penalty was unconstitutional?

In the case of Furman v. Georgia (1972), Marshall and Brennan argued that the death penalty was unconstitutional in all circumstances. The justice was also part of the majority vote that ruled in favor of abortion in the landmark Roe v. Wade (1973) case.

What is the most racist Supreme Court case?

Here are 10 of the most astonishingly racist Supreme Court rulings in American history, in chronological order. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1856) When an enslaved person petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for his freedom, the Court ruled against him—also ruling that the Bill of Rights didn't apply to Black people.

Why don't we hear much about the 1875 version of the Civil Rights Act?

We don't hear much about the 1875 version because it was struck down by the Supreme Court in the Civil Rights Cases ruling of 1883, made up of five separate challenges to the 1875 Civil Rights Act. Had the Supreme Court simply upheld the 1875 civil rights bill, U.S. civil rights history would have been dramatically different. Plessy v.

Who was the Indian American who tried to naturalize?

An Indian American U.S. Army veteran named Bhagat Singh Thind attempted the same strategy as Takeo Ozawa, but his attempt at naturalization was rejected in a ruling establishing that Indians, too, are not white. Well, the ruling technically referred to "Hindus" (ironic considering that Thind was actually a Sikh, not a Hindu), but the terms were used interchangeably at the time. Three years later he was quietly granted citizenship in New York; he went on to earn a Ph.D. and teach at the University of California at Berkeley.

Who was the Japanese immigrant who tried to become a full citizen of the United States?

A Japanese immigrant, Takeo Ozawa, attempted to become a full U.S. citizen, despite a 1906 policy limiting naturalization to whites and Black people. Ozawa's argument was a novel one: Rather than challenging the constitutionality of the statute himself (which, under the racist Court, would have probably been a waste of time anyway), he simply attempted to establish that Japanese Americans were white. The Court rejected this logic.

Who challenged the executive order?

Fred Korematsu also challenged the executive order and lost in a more famous and explicit ruling that formally established that individual rights are not absolute and may be suppressed at will during wartime. The ruling, generally considered one of the worst in the history of the Court, has been almost universally condemned over the past six decades.

How long did it take the Supreme Court to rule on separate but equal?

It only took the Supreme Court three years to violate its own "separate but equal" standard by establishing that if there was no suitable Black school in a given district, Black students would simply have to do without an education. Ozawa v. United States (1922) Corbis Historica Collectionl / Getty Images.

Who was the first African American to be elected to the Supreme Court?

Thurgood Marshall. After being denied entrance to the University of Maryland Law School because of his race, Thurgood Marshall defied the odds by becoming the first African-American Justice to the United States Supreme Court, according to GreatBlackHeroes.com. Prior to his appointment, he worked as a lead counsel with the NAACP, ...

Who was the most influential African American leader of the 19th century?

Frederick Douglass. This former slave is known as one of the most influential African American leaders of the 19th Century, according to GreatBlackHeroes.com. Known for his powerful oration skills, Douglass became an outspoken abolitionist and wrote about his experiences as a slave in an autobiography.

Why was Thurgood Marshall denied admission to law school?

After being denied entrance to the University of Maryland Law School because of his race, Thurgood Marshall defied the odds by becoming the first African-American Justice to the United States Supreme Court, according to GreatBlackHeroes.com. Prior to his appointment, he worked as a lead counsel with the NAACP, where he argued the Brown vs. Board of Education case in front of the Supreme Court. The Court’s decision led to the desegregation of public schools.

What did Martin Luther King Jr. do for the Civil Rights Movement?

A man of unshakable faith, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. tirelessly fought to secure racial equality of all people. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which helped to ignite the Civil Rights Movement, as discussed on BiographyOnline.com. In 1962, over 250,000 marchers watched as he delivered his inspirational “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Who was the first NAACP state representative?

Medgar Evers served as the first NAACP state field representative in the state of Mississippi. In his position, he stood in the face of violence and opposition to organize voter registration drives, as explained on Biography.com. He was one of the state’s most accomplished civil rights leaders before he was gunned down in the driveway of his home. Evers received a hero’s burial in the Arlington National Cemetery.

Who was Asa Philip Randolph?

Asa Philip Randolph was a pioneer for the rights of working blacks. With aspirations of acting, he moved to New York City and worked as a railroad porter to support himself, according to Biography.com. In 1925, Randolph founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

Who was Fannie Lou Hamer?

Fannie Lou Hamer. Fannie Lou Hamer began her work as a civil rights activist in the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, according to History.com. The daughter of a sharecropper, Hamer helped found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party in 1964.

Childhood

College Years

Marriage and Law School

Working For The NAACP

NAACP Chief Counsel

Separate But Not Equal

• Marshall continued to make significant gains in the battle for racial equality in the areas of both voting rights and education. He argued a case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1944 (Smith v. Allwright), claiming that Texas Democratic Party rules unfairly denied Black citizens the right to vote in primaries. The Court agreed, ruling that all citi...

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Brown v. Board of Education

Loss and Remarriage

Work For The Federal Government

Supreme Court Justice

Early Life

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Death and Legacy

Memorials

in Popular Culture

Marriage and Family

Thurgood Marshall Award

Bibliography

See Also

External Links

Who Was Thurgood Marshall?

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Early Life and Family

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Legacy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X