On October 2, 1967, Thurgood Marshall took the judicial oath and became the first Black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Before joining the Court, he had led the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and argued key civil rights cases, including Brown v. Board of Education. His appointment by President Lyndon Johnson marked a major breakthrough in representation within one of the country’s most powerful institutions. On the Court, Marshall often supported individual rights, due process protections, and limits on discrimination. His presence also changed public perceptions of who could serve at the highest levels of the judiciary. Marshall served until 1991, leaving a long legacy in constitutional and civil rights law.
