Thurgood Marshall’s Early Life
This is a photograph of Thurgood Marshall when he was a young child around 1910.
Credit: Marshall Family Estate
Essential Question:
Thurgood Marshall was born in 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland. From the start, he faced unfair treatment because of discrimination and segregation. Why? As an African American man, Marshall lived during a time when many people wrongly thought African Americans were not as good as others. These harmful ideas came from slavery. Enslaved Africans were forced to come to the United States and made to work in tobacco and cotton fields. Most were not allowed to learn to read or write.
Thurgood Marshall grew up in a middle-class family in Baltimore. In his community, families lived more comfortably than many others. Play the following video to learn about Thurgood Marshall’s family and his childhood experiences. Think about the following questions:
- How did Thurgood Marshall’s parents and grandparents help the local community?
- What was Thurgood Marshall’s local school and neighborhood like as he was growing up?
- Why did going to the courtroom with his father and brother inspire Thurgood Marshall?
Now that you have played the video, let’s see what you remember. Read the question carefully and choose the best answer.
