“Thurgood Marshall: And Justice for All.” Analysis of the documentary

The film, a documentary by A&Es BIOGRAPHY, is about Justice Thurgood* Marshall (1908-1993), the 96^th Justice, and first African-American, appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. To chronicle his life, A&E used archival footage and pictures, interviews with family members, friends, and colleagues, and their personal recollections of him.[2] Using this approach, A&E accurately portrayed Marshall’s journey, along an arduous path, to became one of Americas preeminent Jurists. The documentary shows how dedicated he was to championing for Civil Rights and equality for African-Americans – a cause he strongly believed to be the most important, and most personal, mission of his life – as well as Equal Rights for all Americans. From the film, we learn he had a strong sense of right and wrong and, the courage to fight for what he believed. It depicts how Marshall made the legal arena his battleground. We see how he skillfully applied his knowledge, and love, of law to successfully argue legal jurisprudence in courtrooms to ensure his mission was accomplished. The narrorator tells us Thurgood’s love of law began in his youth. “Marshall credits his father with subtly steering him towards a career in law.” William Marshall “had an interest in the law and often brought Thurgood along to Baltimore's courthouses to watch trials. He also discussed the Constitution with his son, especially the Fourteenth Amendment...”[3] The film walks viewers through Marshall’s groundbreaking career and his many achievements. We learn that in 1933, after Law School, Marshall returned to Baltimore and started a successful private law practice[4]; and, that in 1935, with help from his mentor/advisor Charles Houston, Marshall argued his first major case – Murray v. Pearson – in Maryland state court and won.[5] Next, the film takes viewers through his career as Counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a position offered to him in 1935.[?] While there, and working under his mentor, Houston, Marshall learns how to utilize the legal system in his fight for equal rights and equality. In 1940, during his tenure with the NAACP, Marshall helped found, and came chief of, NAACPs Legal Defense Fund. While in that position, Marshall took on his most momentous case – Brown v. Board of Education.[7] In 1954, he presented arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court; and made history by winning a landmark decision from them. The courts decision ultimately brought an end to racial segregation in public schools. In 1967, thirteen years after the Brown case, President Johnson, nominated Marshall to fill a vacant seat in the Supreme Court. On October 7, 1967, he received his appointment – and again, made groundbreaking history by being the first African-American appointed to the court,[8] a seat he occupied for 24 years. In July 1991, at age 83, ill health forced him step down and retire Justice Thurgood Marshall, one of Americas staunchest advocate for equality, desegregation, and both Civil and Equal Rights, died on January 24, 1993. He is buried in Arlington Cemetery.[9]

Bibliography

Books

Clack, George and Neely, Mildred Sola, eds. Justice for All: The Legacy of Thurgood Marshall. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Information Programs, 2007. http://photos.state.gov/libraries/amgov/30145/publications-english/thurgood_marshall.pdf (accessed on October 27, 2014).

Ball, Howard. A Defiant Life: Thurgood Marshall and the Persistence of Racism in America. New York: Crown Publishers, 1998.

Marshall, Thurgood. Supreme Justice: Speeches and Writings. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003.

Articles

Baine, Kevin T. “Wit, Wisdom, and Compassion of Justice Thurgood Marshall,” Hastings

Constitutional Law Quarterly, Vol. 20 (Spring 1993): 497-502.

Bloch, Susan Low. “Thurgood Marshall: Courageous Advocate, Compassionate Judge,” Georgetown Law Review, Vol. 80 (1993): 2003-2009.

O’Connor, Sandra Day. “Thurgood Marshall: The Influence of a Raconteur.” Stanford Law Review, Vol. 44 (Summer, 1992): 1217-1220.

Websites

George Mason University, Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. “Thurgood

Marshall, Supreme Court Justice” http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/122/hill/marshall.htm (accessed on October 27, 2014)

Library of Congress. “Thurgood Marshall: A Register of His Papers.” http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/mss/eadxmlmss/eadpdfmss/2001/ms001047.pdf (accessed on October 28, 2014).

LBJ Library. “Transcript, Thurgood Marshall Oral History Interview I, 7/10/69, by T. H. Baker”, Internet Copy. http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/oralhistory.hom/MarshallT/marshall.pdf (accessed October 28, 2014).

NOTES

• “Thoroughgood (actual birth name) Marshall was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 2, 1908. His father was a railroad porter and his mother was an elementary schoolteacher. In second grade, young Marshall shortened his name to Thurgood. He graduated from Baltimore’s segregated Colored High School and then Lincoln University…” and, studied law at Howard University Law School. While there and, under the mentorship of Charles Houston, a Vice Dean at Howard, Thurgood excelled in his studies; and, in 1933, he graduated first in his class.[1] It must be noted that Howard University Law School was not his first choice. He originally wanted to attend the University of Maryland Law School; but, Maryland’s segregation laws denied him this option.1

1. Michael Jay Friedman, “’U.S. Department of State, 2007. Justice For All: The Legacy of Thurgood Marshall, Michael J. Friedman, pg. 1

2. Details, 2005 A&E Biography Documentary. Abstract/Summary, line eight.

3. Transcript, 2005 A&E Biography Documentary. Narrator, Ben Brown.

4. Thurgood Marshall: And Justice for All, directed by Arden Ostrander and Eileen M. Lucas (New York, NY, A&E Television Networks, 2005), accessed October 27, 2014, http://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/1785548.

5. (Ostrander and Lucas 2005)

6. (Transcript. Ben Brown, 2005 A&E Biography Documentary, para ?)

7. (Transcript. Ben Brown, 2005 A&E Biography Documentary, para ?)

8. (Transcript. Ben Brown, 2005 A&E Biography Documentary, para 7)

9. Arlington National Cemetery. “Thurgood Marshall, Associate Justice, United States Supreme Court” http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/tmarsh.htm (accessed on October 28, 2014)