Explore the life and legacy of Thurgood Marshall, the nation’s first African American Supreme Court justice also known as “Mr. Civil Rights,” from his legal career with the NAACP to his 1967 appointment to the nation’s highest court.
Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect airs Tuesday, September 9 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the WXXI & PBS apps.
With a combination of oral history, animation, and evocative sound design, this new one-hour documentary explores the life and legacy of Thurgood Marshall, the visionary lawyer and civil rights leader who became the first Black justice on the United States Supreme Court. Drawing from rare archival recordings, personal photographs, and exclusive interviews, the film traces Marshall’s journey from his birth in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1908 to his formative years at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Lincoln University and Howard University School of Law to his groundbreaking career as a lawyer championing civil rights and dismantling segregation.
Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect repeats Wednesday, September 10 at 2 a.m., Thursday, September 11 at 4 a.m., Saturday, September 13 at 3 p.m. , and Tuesday, September 16 at 5 p.m. on WXXI-TV.
Becoming Thurgood Promo:
Photo: Thurgood Marshall in front of the Supreme Court.
Credit: PBS PressRoom.
National Partners:
BECOMING THURGOOD: AMERICA’S SOCIAL ARCHITECT is a production of Maryland Public Television, made possible with an appropriation from the State of Maryland for The Center for Maryland History Films. Funding for the film is also provided by Morgan State University, Theralogix, Sage Policy Group, and Allan and Shelley Holt (through the Hillside Foundation).
Local Community Partners:
