Thurgood
Marshall was the first African-American U.S. Supreme Court Justice, serving from
1967 until he retired in 1991. Before his appointment to the High Court by President
Lyndon Johnson, Marshall distinguished himself with a remarkable 23-year career
as lawyer for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
As the NAACP's chief counsel, he argued more than 30 cases before the Supreme
Court. His greatest triumph came in 1954 when he won a landmark decision banning
racial segregation. As Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall strongly supported
the Constitutional protection of civil rights, especially regarding discrimination
on race and gender, supported a woman's right to choose, and was strongly opposed
to the death penalty. After he retired for health reasons, Thurgood Marshall was
outspoken in his criticism and concern about what he saw was the Supreme Court's
marked conservative turn after appointments by Ronald Reagan.
