The first Black Supreme Court Justice was Thurgood Marshall, appointed in 1967 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Before joining the Court, Marshall built a groundbreaking legal career as the chief counsel for the NAACP, where he argued and won 29 of the 32 cases he brought before the Supreme Court. Most notably, he successfully argued Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark decision that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. That ruling helped dismantle the legal foundation of segregation in America.

Marshall’s appointment to the nation’s highest court was historic, not only because he was the first Black justice, but because of what he represented. He brought lived experience, civil rights expertise, and an unwavering belief in equal protection under the law to the bench. Throughout his 24 years on the Supreme Court, he remained a powerful voice for fairness, voting rights, and individual liberties. His legacy reminds us that representation matters, and that lasting change often begins with the courage to challenge injustice.