Thurgood Marshall was the first African American justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. He was an American civil rights lawyer who changed the ways of American society forever. He worked through the courts to destroy racism. He is a well-known figure in the history of civil rights. .
Thurgood Marshall was born and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He was named after his grandfather, a former slave, who changed his name to Thoroughood after he entered the United States Army. His father, William Marshall, served as a railroad porter and head steward at an all white club. Thurgood graduated from an all black high school when he was sixteen years old. He attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Just before graduation, Thurgood married a woman named Vivien Burey and they were married until she passed away from cancer in 1955. .
With high honors, Marshall graduated from Lincoln University in 1930. Meanwhile, he applied to the University of Maryland School of Law, which rejected him because he was black. Instead, he decided to attend Howard University in Washington D.C. and graduated first in his class. After receiving his law degree, he began his private practice in Baltimore in 1933. .
Marshall decided to quit his private practice and moved to New York City. He served as the legal director of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). At NAACP, Marshall wanted to help fight segregation throughout the United States. He fought many of his cases in local, state, and federal courts, which included the United States Supreme Court. He enjoyed helping the public and also worked with individuals to build support. .
His first main goal was to get rid of segregation in schools. He concentrated first on graduate and professional schools because he believed that the white judges would be more sympathetic to the blacks with ambition. He started winning more and more cases and then moved on to the elementary and high schools.