A Defiant Life: Thurgood Marshall and the Persistence of Racism in America

by Howard Ball

Thurgood Marshall's extraordinary contribution to civil rights and overcoming racism is more topical than ever, as the national debate on race and the overturning of affirmative action policies make headlines nationwide. Howard Ball, author of eighteen books on the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary, has done copious research for this incisive biography to present an authoritative portrait of Marshall the jurist.

Born to a middle-class black family in "Jim Crow" Baltimore at the turn of the century, Marshall's race informed his worldview from an early age. He was rejected by the University of Maryland Law School because of the color of his skin. He then attended Howard University's Law School, where his racial consciousness was awakened by the brilliant lawyer and activist Charlie Houston. Marshall suddenly knew what he wanted to a civil rights lawyer, one of Houston's "social engineers." As the chief attorney for the NAACP, he developed the strategy for the legal challenge to racial discrimination. His soaring achievements and his lasting impact on the nation's legal system--as the NAACP's advocate, as a federal appeals court judge, as President Lyndon Johnson's solicitor general, and finally as the first African American Supreme Court Justice--are symbolized by Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark case that ended legal segregation in public schools.

Using race as the defining theme, Ball spotlights Marshall's genius in working within the legal system to further his lifelong commitment to racial equality. With the help of numerous, previously unpublished sources, Ball presents a lucid account of Marshall's illustrious career and his historic impact on American civil rights.

Genres: Biography

428 pages, Hardcover

First published January 19, 1999

Reviews

[Kenneth Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an overview of the career of Thurgood Marshall. It's not a biography in the true sense of the word. It deals primarily. With his legal career, first as the lawyer for the NAACP and then his time as solicitor general then on the court of appeals, and finally on the Supreme Court. I felt the best part of the book dealt with his years on the Supreme Court. He was appointed by LBJ in 1967. He was in on the tail end of the Warren Court but then spent most of his years with appointees of Nixon Reagan and Bush. These were frustrating years for him as the conservatives rolled back or diminished the gains of the Warren Court. Most of his opinions were dissents as he tried to defend the rights of the poor, minorities, and the disadvantaged. The chapters on his Supreme Court days were the best part of the book I felt.

[Bill Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

This was a very detailed biography of an amazing man. Mr. Thurgood Marshall lead a very interesting life though he may have said it was not as filling as he wished it could’ve been. He had an ongoing struggle against a very difficult upon it. He was relentless in his pursuit of equality for Black people. He hast to be extremely admired for his tenacity and his work ethic. I highly recommend this book

[Patricia Tharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite biography reads! I loved it and recommend it; I could not stop reading it until the last page!