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Today in History: Thurgood Marshall becomes first African-American Supreme Court justice

8/30/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On August 30, 1967, the Senate confirmed Thurgood Marshall as the first African-American associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. A former NAACP lawyer who secured the Brown v. Board of Education decision, Marshall joined the bench after President Johnson’s nomination, marking a historic breakthrough in the nation’s civil-rights struggle.

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Story summary

On August 30, 1967, the Senate confirmed Thurgood Marshall as the first African-American associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. A former NAACP lawyer who secured the Brown v. Board of Education decision, Marshall joined the bench after President Johnson’s nomination, marking a historic breakthrough in the nation’s civil-rights struggle.