How Thurgood Marshall’s High School Prank Made Him A Lawyer

portrait of thurgood marshall
Briona Lamback
January 17, 2025

A teenage Thurgood Marshall was acting up in class when his high school's principal banished him to the basement. While sitting there, Marshall was given a punishment that ended up changing history.

The principal forced him to read the U.S. Constitution. Ironically, for Marshall, this wasn’t a "punishment" at all. Instead, it opened his eyes to one big truth.

The Constitution outlines all the rights that Americans have, but Marshall, born in 1908, knew the document didn't extend those rights to his people. So, he devised a plan of action.

Marshall went on to study law and became a celebrated lawyer for the NAACP and the Civil Rights Movement. He wasn't on a mission to become the first Black associate justice on the Supreme Court of the United States for the accolades; he was fighting for us, his people, the entire time. Here's the lesson in his powerful story.

Thurgood Marshall's incredible career is a reminder that what is meant for us will always be ours, especially when we center ourselves in the work. And even when things seem off track, we all have a path, autonomy, and the will to create the realities we desire. We can become anything we want—we always have.

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