NAACP 

Marshall began to be known for both his skill as a lawyer and his passion for civil rights. He became the chief counsel (main lawyer) for the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). Over the next several years, Marshall traveled the country defending African-Americans who were often wrongly accused. He also fought against segregation and the Jim Crow laws of the South. He eventually earned the nickname "Mr. Civil Rights". 

Brown v. Board of Education 

Marshall's most famous case came in 1954. It was called Brown v. Board of Education. In this case Marshall argued that schools should not be segregated. At that time there were separate schools for black children and white children. It was illegal in many states for black children to attend the same schools as white children. The argument that many states used was one called "separate but equal". Marshall argued that separate schools could not be equal. In a landmark decision for the Civil Rights Movement, Marshall won the case showing that segregation in schools was unconstitutional. 

Becoming a Judge 

In 1961, Marshall was appointed as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals by President John F. Kennedy. He served there until 1965 when he became the United States Solicitor General. As Solicitor General he represented the federal government before the Supreme Court. 

Supreme Court Justice 

President Lyndon Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall for the Supreme Court in 1966. He was confirmed by the Senate on August 30, 1967 and became the first African-American Supreme Court Justice. While serving on the Supreme Court, Marshall championed the rights of the individual. He served on the court for 24 years. He retired in 1991 and was replaced by another African-American judge, Clarence Thomas. 

Legacy 

Thurgood Marshall died of heart failure on January 24, 1993. He left a legacy of using the law and the Constitution to fight for the rights of all people. He broke down racial barriers, including achieving one of the highest positions in the government as a member of the Supreme Court. 

Interesting Facts about Thurgood Marshall

• Marshall had to memorize the U.S. Constitution in high school as punishment for misbehaving in class.

• His birth first name was Thoroughgood, but as a child Marshall got tired of having to write out such a long name. He shortened his name to Thurgood in the second grade.

• While working as a lawyer he argued 32 cases before the Supreme Court and won 29 of them.

• There was a one-man play about the life of Thurgood Marshall called Thurgood which appeared on Broadway starring Laurence Fishburne in 2008.