Marshall
in
front
of
the
Supreme
Court
in
1958
(Credit:
Library
of
Congress)
Before
the
actor
who
played
Black
Panther
brought
him
to
life
on
the
silver
screen,
Thurgood
Marshall
had
already
secured
his
place
as
a
real-life
superhero
of
civil
rights.
That’s
exactly
what
the
documentary
“Becoming
Thurgood:
America’s
Social
Architect”
focuses
on,
inviting
viewers
to
“reflect
on
his
work
shaping
the
American
legal
system.”
As
a
pioneering
force
in
the
legal
battle
for
civil
rights,
Marshall
cemented
his
legacy
as
the
first
African
American
man
to
be
appointed
to
the
Supreme
Court
of
the
United
States.
Through
interviews
with
acclaimed
authors,
legal
scholars,
and
family
members,
the
film
traces
Marshall’s
journey
from
his
childhood
and
work
with
the
NAACP
Legal
Defense
Fund
to
his
appointment
to
the
Supreme
Court
—
marking
his
inspirational
accomplishments
along
the
way.
“Legally
speaking,
he’s
one
of
the
founding
fathers,”
noted
author
Wil
Haygood.
Check
out
a
trailer
for
the
film,
below:
Born
in
1908
in
Baltimore,
Maryland,
Marshall
came
from
humble
beginnings
during
the
segregation
era,
and
as
a
child,
his
father
brought
him
to
court
to
watch
legal
proceedings.
According
to
his
son,
John,
Marshall
was
“very
impressed
with
watching
lawyers
argue
cases”
—
and
he
would
later
become
one
of
the
most
eloquent
advocates
ever
to
appear
before
the
Supreme
Court.
Marshall
pursued
a
path
of
academic
excellence,
attending
two
prominent
Historically
Black
Colleges
and
Universities,
Lincoln
University
and
Howard
University
School
of
Law.
From
there,
he
embarked
upon
a
career
that
would
make
racial
equality
a
reality
and
change
the
future
for
all
Americans.
Known
as
“Mr.
Civil
Rights,”
Marshall
time
and
again
took
up
challenging
causes,
winning
29
of
the
32
cases
he
argued
before
the
Supreme
Court,
including
the
landmark
case
of
Brown
v.
Board
of
Education,
which
ended
racial
segregation
in
public
schools.
His
fight
for
equality
didn’t
end
there,
however,
as
many
years
of
litigation
followed
thanks
to
“massive
resistance”
to
the
high
court’s
decision.
Marshall
never
gave
up,
and
secured
victory
after
victory
in
the
name
of
equality
and
justice
for
all.
“The
work
and
life
of
Thurgood
Marshall
literally
changed
this
country
in
ways
that
are
incredibly
positive
and
powerful
and
that
still
resonate
today,”
said
Sherrilyn
Ifill
of
Howard
Law.
Marshall’s
historic
rise
to
legal
prominence
was
rewarded
with
positions
of
note
within
the
judiciary
and
the
federal
government.
In
1961,
he
was
appointed
to
U.S.
Court
of
Appeals
for
the
Second
Circuit.
Four
years
later,
he
was
appointed
as
the
nation’s
first
Black
Solicitor
General.
Then,
in
1967,
he
was
nominated
to
become
the
first
Black
Supreme
Court
justice
in
the
United
States.
He
served
for
24
years,
where
he
continued
to
champion
equal
justice
under
the
law,
before
retiring
in
1991.
Executive
producer
Stanley
Nelson
said
this
of
the
film’s
iconic
subject
and
its
importance
given
today’s
fight
for
civil
rights:
“His
story
has
always
been
relevant
and
timely.
But
I
think
that
now,
when
we
have
a
real
attack
on
history,
especially
African
American
history,
it
becomes
more
relevant
than
ever.”
“Becoming
Thurgood:
America’s
Social
Architect”
premieres
Tuesday,
September
9,
2025,
at
10
p.m.
ET
on
PBS, PBS.org,
and
the PBS
app.
The
film
reminds
us
that
before
he
was
ever
portrayed
as
a
character,
Marshall
was
—
and
remains
—
a
true
superhero
of
American
justice.
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.