(AURN News) — On Oct. 2, 1967, Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first Black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, marking a historic milestone in the struggle for civil rights and equality in America.
Before joining the Court, Marshall had already established himself as a towering figure in the civil rights movement. As chief counsel for the NAACP, he argued and won landmark cases including Brown v. Board of Education, which struck down legal segregation in public schools.
President John F. Kennedy first appointed Marshall to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1961, though Southern senators delayed his confirmation until 1962. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson named him solicitor general, where Marshall won 14 of 19 cases before the Supreme Court. Johnson later nominated him to the high court, where Marshall became the first Black justice in U.S. history.
On the bench, Marshall continued his fight against discrimination and championed fairness and equal protection under the law. Over his 24 years on the Court, he left an indelible mark on American jurisprudence, shaping the nation’s understanding of justice and equality.
Marshall retired in 1991 and passed away in 1993 at the age of 84, but his legacy endures as a symbol of progress and perseverance in the face of systemic barriers.
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