By: Jessa

Black History Month

Thurgood Marshall worked really hard at all his cases.

Thurgood Marshall

                         Thurgood Marshall was recognized for being the first African American to become Justice of the Supreme Court. Marshall was also accepted on the team of many lawyers in the historic supreme Court Trial concerning school desegregation. In 1954 Marshall attended the Brown vs. Board of Education. The result of this trial concluded that the “separate but equal” doctrine public education was overthrown.

                         Thurgood Marshall was born on July 2, 1908. His birthplace was Baltimore Maryland. His original name was Thorougood Marshall. He disliked the name strongly so in about 1912, when he was in second grade, he shortened his name to Thurgood Marshall. His grandfather was a slave.

                         He had a successful career as a lawyer and he also was a judge. He fought for civil rights and women’s rights. Later in 1967 he was accepted in high court by President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Thurgood Marshall also did many other cases.

                         Thurgood Marshall was married to two women. He was first married to Vivian “Buster” Burey from 1929 until she died of cancer in February 1955. He had no kids with her. He then married Cecilia “Cissy” Suyat through December 1955 until 1993 when his own death occurred from heart failure. He had two sons from his second marriage. They included Thurgood Marshall Jr. He was a top aide for President Bill Clinton. His other son was John W. Marshall. He was a United States Marshals Service director. Until 2002 he served as a Virginia Secretary of public safety. He worked with governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.

Time Line of Thurgood Marshall

1930- Marshall Graduates from Lincoln University (PA). He had many honors.

1933- Marshall received his law degree from Howard University. He then began his private practices in Baltimore Maryland.

1934- He began to work for the Baltimore branch of NAACP.

1935- He started working with Charles Houston. He won his first major Civil rights case; Murray vs. Pearson.

1936- He became assistant special council in New York.

1940- He won the Chambers vs. Florida. It was the first of 29 court victories.

1943- He won his case for integration of schools.

1944- Argues Smith over Allwrite.

1946- Receives Medal for NAACP

1948- He won Shelly vs. Kraemer.

1950- He wins two Supreme Court victories of two high schools.

1951- He visited both South Korea and Japan.

1554- He won Brown vs. Board of Education.

1956- He won Browder vs. Gayle.

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