Learning from a Mentor

Charles H. Houston, half-length portrait, seated at desk, facing front

Credit: Library of Congress

Essential Question:

Why are mentors important in helping people achieve important goals?


 

 

“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.”
- Oprah Winfrey, producer, actress, television icon

A mentor helps another person to be better at something. A mentor is also a role model. A mentor is sometimes an adult who helps a young person. They want to help because they see potential in the young person.

Thurgood Marshall had several role models. His family helped to guide his behavior and thinking. His teachers saw he had abilities, including learning how to live in a segregated world.

One of Thurgood Marshall’s role models was Charles Hamilton Houston. He was Marshall’s teacher and mentor at Howard University Law School in Washington, D.C. Houston was a strict teacher, so Marshall worked very hard as a law school student. He graduated at the top of his class and became a lawyer.

Once Marshall graduated from law school, he wanted to fight for people’s rights as soon as possible. Charles Hamilton Houston offered him the chance to help people by working for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) where Mr. Houston worked. The NAACP still exists today. They fight for the constitutional rights of African Americans by fighting against discrimination and racism. Charles Hamilton Houston continued to mentor Thurgood Marshall. Together, they worked on important court cases to fight for change, fairness, and equality.

Play the following video to learn how Charles Hamilton Houston was a mentor to Thurgood Marshall. Think about these questions:

  • Why did Charles Hamilton Houston want his law students to be “the best of the best”?
  • Charles Hamliton Houston was a strict teacher. How can a teacher help a student reach their goals?
  • In what ways did Charles Hamilton Houston teach Thurgood Marshall to use the law for social change?

Write your answers in your notebook and share the examples with a partner.


 

Now, check your knowledge about the importance of Charles Hamilton Houston to Thurgood Marshall. Read each question and choose the best answer.