Thurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court from 1967 to 1991. He was the first African American to hold that position, and was one of the most influential legal actors of his time. Before being appointed to the Supreme Court by President Lyndon Johnson, Marshall was a lawyer, best remembered for the victory of Brown v. Board of Education. He argued more cases before the Supreme Court than anyone else in history, and had a great success rate.

Through this short overview accompanied by primary sources, students will learn what Marshall did (and did not do) during his life, why those actions were important, and what effects his efforts had on the larger course of American history.

Charles L. Zelden is Professor of History at Nova Southeastern University. He is the author of many books, including Bush v. Gore: Exposing the Hidden Crisis in American Democracy and The Supreme Court and Elections...Into the Political Thicket.

Acknowledgments. Introduction: The Struggle for a More Perfect Union. 1. The Education of Thurgood Marshall 2. "Thurgood's Coming" 3. Social Engineer Lawyer 4. Going for the "Whole Hog" 5. All Deliberate Speed Means S-L-O-W 6. "I AM the Establishment" 7. Not Only the Robe Was Black 8. How Do You Feel About Writing Dissents? Postscript: Thurgood Marshall, Activist Judge. Documents. Note on Sources.