Thurgood Marshall Essay

The late 1700s and early 1800s was a critical time period in American history in which our newly independent nation was beginning to lay down the groundwork for how the country would run. During this time, America was in its infancy and its crucial first steps would dictate how the nation would either walk, run, or retreat. John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the Unites States, was a highly important and influential political figure whose decisions forever molded the future of the American judicial system. Like many other great political figures, much of John Marshall’s influence can be attributed to timing; he emerged just as the United States Constitution came into existence.

Marshall will be remembered for all his efforts in trying to put an end to racial segregation. He spent considerable time to work the Supreme Court to end the lasting legacy of slavery in the US. Quite evidently, he worked for the good of American society. Thurgood never wanted to lead protests but to peaceably pioneer civil rights movements. He found he was achieving a long-held ambition which placed him in the lead of the social revolution to end racial segregation. (4, 67) For this reason his life became very important in shaping the American society today. He also did many important things as a judge. He fought for individual rights and equality. His efforts helped to put an end to all racial segregation and discrimination against all African Americans in this country. Marshall did not only fight for equality in his fellow Africans, but also put important decisions as a Supreme Court judge regarding the environment, the right of appeal of people convicted of drug charges, failure to report for and to serve in the armed forces, and the rights of the Native Americans – only to state a few.

After Being Dragged out of their homeland, brought to an unknown country, and forced to be slaves, African-Americans saw a road trip to equality through the eyes of Martin Luther King, Jr. Even after being emancipated from slaves to citizens, African-Americans were not ready to wage the battle against segregation alone. The weight which African Americans carried on their back, was lightened when they began to see what Martin Luther King, Jr. brought to the table against segregation. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the single most important African-American leader of the Civil Rights Movement and was responsible for dramatically improving the chance of equality for African-Americans. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the key individual, which helped

Thurgood Marshall is the first African American who joined the supreme court justice. This action lead to various amounts of segregation being extinct to society. There are numerous of people that still believe racism is in the air. Racism is mostly caused from white citizens being mean to African Americans. Marshall’s lifespan changed society past, present, and probably future.

To begin with, Thurgood Marshall’s dedication was important in ending Jim Crow. He had a major role in the success of the NAACP. He stood right by Charles Houston’s side going through thick and thin. Marshall was sent all over the United States to fight court cases involving injustice for blacks. He himself was denied the right to attend at a law school because of his race. He led to the end of Jim Crow by fighting segregation cases for more than twenty years. Many of his cases involved integrating black and white schools or getting admission for denied black students. In his time, he won 29 out of the 32 cases he argued in front of the Supreme Court. All the rights that Thurgood Marshall had won for black people ended the long era of Jim Crow.

On February 26, 2012, an apparently innocent teenager was shot as he walked home through his neighborhood late at night. The Trayvon Martin killing and trial has recently been one of the primary topics covered by the media in America. The response to the news coverage of the case has been staggering. Students have organized hoodie marches and created Facebook groups to protest the unjustified murder of the young man. However, is the American public as well informed as it pretends to be? Americans have an unsettling susceptibility to manipulation from the media. In 1991, a similar event occurred in the case of the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, where Supreme Court nominee, Clarence Thomas, had his personal affairs put on display for

Marshall was the head lawyer in the Brown vs. Board of Education case in which he won proving that separate education facilities were inherently unequal. Thurgood Marshall’s 24 years on the supreme court allowed him to produce many changes at the highest level. During the later portion of his supreme court years, the court became incredibly conservative and he became unable to accomplish very much. Martin Luther King Jr. successfully lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott and showed how much value and power blacks had even in racist southern communities. His many speeches also fueled many people to seek change as they realized the extent of the inequalities faced by African Americans in society.s King did not have any failures so to speak but he was unable to see the full extent of the changes he created because he was assassinated before they all played out. Malcolm X accomplished lots for the African American and Muslim communities but he too was assassinated when he was so young that it is impossible to know what else he could have done had he have lived a full long

Throughout the 20th century, Thurgood Marshall blazed the trail for the Civil Rights Movement from two sides of the American Legal System, both as a lawyer, and as a Justice of the Supreme Court. Marshall’s initial rise to fame came as a result of his success as the head lawyer for the Brown family in Brown vs. The Board of Education.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X had a common purpose for African Americans; justice and equality. Illustrated through their speeches, Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” and Malcolm X’s “Talk to Young African Americans”, the two did not share techniques or ideas. Yet both men had the support of millions and millions of people.

During the 20th century I have read many books, newspaper articles and seen news broadcasts on two of the most famous Afro American Pioneers: Martin Luther King and Thurgood Marshall. Martin Luther King fought all his life for equal rights for Afro Americans, but Thurgood Marshall help elevate the Afro American civil rights struggles through legal precedents and timely court decisions. Thomas G. Kraftenmaker a professor of Constitutional law at Georgetown University Law Center wrote, "When I think of great American lawyers I think of Thurgood Marshall, Abe Lincoln and Daniel Webster". In this century only Earl Warren approaches Marshall. Thurgood Marshall is certainly the most important lawyer of the 20th century.

The U.S is known for its liberty and equality. However, the Supreme Court once had to decide on the rights for African Americans. Since the abolishment of slavery, one court case before the Supreme Court sided against the African American plaintiff fighting for equal rights. In this case the plaintiff, Homer Plessy was arguing his right to ride in a "white only" train car. Unfortunately, he lost his case in Plessy vs Ferguson. Decades later, another plaintiff, Oliver Brown, also took a case before the Supreme Court. Conversely, in this case, the Supreme Court sided with the plaintiff in Brown vs Board of Education. This decision began the integration of schools. Despite the fact that these two cases took place almost 60 years apart, they both dealt with a similar issue.

John Marshall is an American patriot who climbed to success through hard-work, determination, and a strong will to protect the constitution of The United States of America. He held many prominent places in American government as well as on front lines of the army defending freedom. John Marshall became the fourth Supreme Court justice for three whole decades, issuing major verdicts on cases that helped to develop, limit, and divide government power.

The landmark Supreme Court cases of Dred Scott v. Sandford, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas have had a tremendous effect on the struggle for equal rights in America. These marker cases have set the precedent for cases dealing with the issue of civil equality for the last 150 years.

The Smith V. Allwright case was a big milestone in the Civil Rights Movement. It all started when a 39 year old black man named Lonnie Smith was denied the right to vote in Texas. In court the NAACP argued that the 14th and 15th amendments were being taken away from their client. The Supreme Court agreed. This victory lead to a immediate increase in African American resignations (Shay, Alison. "Remembering Smith V. Allwright").

The Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King The Civil Rights movement is still identified by people across the world with Dr Martin Luther King. His day of birth is remarked with a national holiday in the United States and there are many historic sites dedicated to MLK across the nation. His funeral in Atlanta on 9th April 1968 was attended by political leaders from around the world and later in 1977 King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom which stated that MLK was “the conscience on his generation” who…”saw the power of love could bring down segregation”.