Childhood
Where was Thurgood Marshall born?
He was born in Baltimore, Maryland. (page 3)
Why was Thurgood Marshall unable to attend the University of Maryland Law School?
He was not allowed to attend the university, because he was black. Colleges were segregated. (page 7)
How long did Thurgood Marshall work as a Supreme Court justice?
He worked for 24 years. (page 14)
In what year what Justice Marshall born?
He was born in 1908. (page 3)
As a lawyer, how did Thurgood Marshall help a young black man who was not allowed to attend Maryland University of Law because he was black?
Marshall was the young man's lawyer. He argued that the university's refusal to let the man attend the school was discrimination, meaning he was being treated unfairly. Marshall won the case.
At what age did he retire?
He retired when he was 83 years old. (page 14)
What did the text tell us Thurgood Marshall became good at doing when he was a child?
He became good at arguing. (page 6)
What were some cases Thurgood Marshall won as a lawyer that would help black Americans achieve more equality?
He argued cases against segregation. Fpr example, he argued that black people should be able to buy houses in white neighborhoods and that black people should not be separate on buses and trains. (page 9) He also convinced the Supreme Court that black and white students should go to school together, that "separate is not equal." (pages 10 and 11)
In what year did Thurgood Marshall pass (die)?
He passed in 1993. (page 14)
When Justice Marshall was a child, how were black Amercans treated differently than white Americans? Give three examples, based on the text.
Black Americans were segregated or kept separate from white people in many ways. For example, they had to go to separate schools. They had to live in separate neighborhoods. They could not drink from the same water fountains or sit in the same train cars as white people. They also could not eat in many of the same restaurants as white people. (pages 3 - 6)
What court case made Thurgood Marshall famous and helped inspire the Civil Rights movement?
Marshall won the case Brown v Board of Education. He convinced the Supreme Court that forcing white and black students to attend separate schools was unfair. As a result, the Supreme Court ended school segregation. (page 10)
Explain three ways Thurgood Marshall's work help improve the lives of black Americans?
He won many cases that helped end segregation in America. For example, he helped end segregaton in neighborhoods, on trains and in schools. He also helped inspire the Civil Rights Movement, which involved many more people working to make laws and life more fair for black people. (pages 9 - 14)
In what ways did Marshall's childhood experiences lead him to become a lawyer interested in ending segregation? Tell about two different experiences.
When Marshall was a child, black Americans were segregated (kept separate) from white Americans in many ways. These laws were unfair. The text told us (page 6) that he and his family would discuss what could be done about these unfair laws.
Also, the text told us that Marshall became good at arguing. (page 6) Being able to argue an idea and change people's minds is an important skill for a lawyer or judge.
In high school he memorized the Constitution. He felt the rights in the Constitution should apply to all Americans. He thought that he could help make life more equal for black Americans by becoming a lawyer and helping change unfair laws. (page 7)
Why did Thurgood Marshall's work as a lawyer make him a good choice for a Supreme Court justice?
Marshall won many cases that helped make laws more fair. Making sure laws are fair is an important job for a Supreme Court justice.
"All Americans are better off since I joined the Court," Marshall once said. "All of them."
Explain what he meant by this.
In fighting to make laws fair for some people, he made laws fair for all people. He worked to make sure laws treated all Americans fairly. (pages 9 - 14)