Thurgood Marshall was the first African American Supreme Court Justice. He was born in 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland and faced segregation as a child. Marshall studied the US Constitution and became a lawyer, arguing landmark civil rights cases that challenged segregation, including Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 which ruled that public school segregation was unconstitutional. Marshall dedicated his life and legal career to achieving justice and equal rights for African Americans under the law.

1. Civil Rights

2. Thurgood Marshall was the
first African- American
Supreme Court Justice
(judge).
 Thurgood Marshall was born
in 1908 in Baltimore,
Maryland.


3. Find Maryland on a map.
 Do you remember what
other American hero was
born in Maryland? (Hint: He
spoke out against slavery.)


4. Thurgood was very smart and
curious.
 His father taught him to
debate or argue a point.
 Sometimes Thurgood would
get in trouble with his
teachers for debating a
point.


5. To keep Thurgood busy, his
teachers had him study the
United States Constitution.
 What have you already
learned about the United
States Constitution?


6. 

Thurgood learned the entire
United States Constitution by
heart!
His knowledge of the
Constitution helped Thurgood
become a lawyer.

7. 


In 1825, Thurgood Marshall went
to college at Lincoln University
in Pennsylvania.
It was the first university for
African-American students.
Find Pennsylvania on a map.

8. 


When Thurgood was young
segregation was common in the
United States.
Segregation was a system of keeping
some people separate from others.
African- Americans were kept apart
from other Americans in many public
places such as schools, hotels, and
restaurants.

9. 


Segregation affected Thurgood’s
life.
He knew segregation was wrong and
wanted to work for justice and end
unfair treatment of AfricanAmericans.
Justice is the fair and equal
treatment for all under a system of
laws.

10. 



In 1930, Thurgood graduated from college
and wanted to go to law school.
Thurgood traveled to Howard University in
Washington D.C. to go to law school.
He was a very good student and graduated
at the top of his class!
What year will you
graduate from high
school?

11. 

After Thurgood became a
lawyer, he took cases to help
other African-Americans gain
equal rights.
In 1954, he argued and won his
most important case, Brown vs.
the Board of Edcuation.

12. 

The Supreme Court agreed with
Thurgood that public schools in
the United States should not be
segregated.
All children should attend school
together and not be separated
by their race.

13. 

Before and after that case,
Thurgood Marshall fought in courts
all over the US for the rights of
African-Americans.
In 1967, Thurgood became a justice
(judge) on the Supreme Court in
Washington D.C.

14. 


Thurgood Marshall’s life was
dedicated to JUSTICE.
What is justice?
Thurgood believed that he could
win rights for African-Americans
by working with the judicial
system.

15. 

Thurgood knew the US Constitution
guaranteed justice to all its citizens.
Therefore, the courts were the best
way to make sure African-Americans
were treated fairly.

16. 




In what branch of government
did Thurgood Marshall work for
justice?
A. judicial
B. legislative
C. executive
D. Congress

17. 




Where did Thurgood Marshall think
the fight for justice should be
fought?
A. in Germany
B. in the executive branch of
government
C. in the legislative branch of
government
D. in the courts

18. 




Thurgood Marshall worked to stop
segregation of public schools. What
is the BEST definition of
segregation?
A. come together
B. separate
C. cooperate
D. work together

19. 




Because Thurgood Marshall worked
for justice, he worked for
A. equal and fair treatment under
the law
B. freedom from unfair government
C. the right to express a belief
D. the right to hold a belief

20. 




Which American leader helped
end segregation of public
schools?
A. Mary McLeod Bethune
B. Franklin Roosevelt
C. Cesar Chavez
D. Thurgood Marshall