His tireless work in the courthouse championing the cause of those oppressed, sparked the American civil rights movement and garnered Marshall national attention. He was appointed to the US Court of Appeals by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. In 1965, he was promoted to the position of the United States Solicitor General.
On June 13, 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him to the Supreme Court. After being approved by a Senate vote on August 30, 1967, Marshall officially became an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, the first African-American to ever hold the position.
Of appointing Marshall, Johnson said, “I believe it’s the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man, and the right place.”
During his 24 years of service on the highest court in America, he never backed down from his ongoing battle with discrimination against all people who needed a voice to fight for them. Marshall served on the court until 1991 when he had to step down because of health issues. He passed away on January 24, 1993.
