THURGOOD MARSHALL WAS A CRUSADING NEGRO LAWYER WHO
FOUGHT TO PROTECT THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF BOTH BLACK AND
WHITE AMERICANS FOR NEARLY SIXTY YEARS. IN 1967, HE
BECAME THE NATION'S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN SUPREME COURT
JUSTICE, WHERE HE CHAMPIONED THE RIGHTS OF UNDER-
PRIVILEGED PEOPLE. HE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE
A LIBERAL JUSTICE WHO DEFENDED THE RIGHT OF A WOMAN TO
HAVE AN ABORTION, AND STAUNCHLY REFUSED TO SUPPORT THE
DEATH PENALTY.
THURGOOD MARSHALL, THE GREAT GRANDSON OF A NEGRO SLAVE,
WAS BORN IN MARYLAND IN 1908. HIS FATHER, WILLIAM, WAS
A COUNTRY CLUB STEWARD AND HIS MOTHER, NORMA A.
WILLIAMS, WAS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER. HE
EXCELLED AT DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL IN BALTIMORE AND LATER
ENTERED THE ALL-NEGRO LINCOLN UNIVERSITY IN
PENNSYLVANIA. IN 1930, THURGOOD MARSHALL GRADUATED
FROM LINCOLN AND ENROLLED IN LAW SCHOOL AT HOWARD
UNIVERSITY IN WASHINGTON D. C. THREE YEARS LATER, HE
BEGAN PRACTICING LAW IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.
IN 1938, THURGOOD MARSHALL BECAME CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL
FOR THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF
COLORED PEOPLE. IN THIS CAPACITY, HE OFTEN TRAVELED
INTO THE AMERICAN SOUTH TO ARGUE CIVIL RIGHTS CASES.
IN 1939, HE WAS ADMITTED TO PRACTICE LAW BEFORE THE
SUPREME COURT, WHERE HE WON 29 OF THE 32 CASES HE ARGUED
BEFORE THE COURT. HIS SUCCESSES WERE THE RESULT OF
METICULOUS PREPARATIONS AND THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE OF
CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES.
THURGOOD MARSHALL'S GREATEST CIVIL RIGHTS VICTORY WAS IN
1954, WHEN HE WON THE BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF EDUCATION
CASE, WHICH ENDED THE "SEPARATE BUT EQUAL" COURT RULING
THAT KEPT MOST SCHOOLS ACROSS THE NATION RACIALLY
SEGREGATED. THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL TREATMENT
UNDER THE LAW HAS ALSO LED TO LEGAL VICTORIES FOR WOMEN,
OTHER ETHNIC MINORITIES AND THE DISABLED.
IN 1961, AGAINST THE OBJECTIONS OF MANY, PRESIDENT JOHN
F. KENNEDY NOMINATED THURGOOD MARSHALL TO SERVE ON THE
U-S COURT OF APPEALS.
IN 1967, PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON NOMINATED THURGOOD
MARSHALL TO BE A U-S SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. SOUTHERN
SENATORS UNHAPPY WITH THE SELECTION QUESTIONED MR.
MARSHALL EXTENSIVELY FOR NEARLY A YEAR BEFORE THE U-S
SENATE VOTED 69 TO 11 IN FAVOR OF HIM.
TWENTY-FOUR YEARS LATER, AT THE AGE OF EIGHTY-TWO,
THURGOOD MARSHALL ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE
COURT. HE TOLD A GROUP OF REPORTERS, "I AM OLD. I'M
GETTING OLD AND COMING APART." WHEN ASKED HOW HE WANTED
TO BE REMEMBERED, HE SAID HE WANTED PEOPLE TO SAY, "THAT
HE DID WHAT HE COULD WITH WHAT HE HAD."
JUSTICE THURGOOD MARSHALL DIED AT THE AGE OF 84, IN
1993, FROM HEART FAILURE.
U-S PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON SAID OF MR. MARSHALL, "HE WAS
A GIANT IN THE QUEST FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY."
14-Feb-97
Source: Voice of America