To understand fully the complexities of Thurgood Marshall's work as a practicing lawyer, civil rights advocate for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, federal judge, and the first African American appointed Solicitor General of the United States and Justice of the United States Supreme Court, these texts are indispensable.The early speeches assembled by J. Clay Smith, Jr., focus on the Detroit riots of the 1940s and 1950s, one of the most important periods of Marshall's life, culminating in his arguments before the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education and Bolling v. Sharpe, which in 1954 struck down "de jure" segregation in public education. Throughout the materials from the next four decades, Marshall comes to life as a teacher, leader, and strategist, explaining, preaching, and cajoling audiences to stand up for their rights. The addresses collected by Smith present a less formal picture of Marshall, from which one can learn much about the depth of his skills and strategies to conquer racism, promote democracy, and create a world influenced by his vision for a just and moral society. "Supreme Justice" reveals Marshall as a dogged opponent of unequal schools and a staunch proponent of the protection of black people from violence and the death penalty. Through his own words we see the genius of a man with an ability to inspire diverse crowds in clear language and see him also demonstrate his powers of persuasion in formal settings outside the court. His writings not only enhance our understanding of his groundbreaking advocacy in law and social conflicts, they reveal the names of men and women of all races who made significant contributions leading to Brown v. Board of Education and beyond.

Emancipation The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844-1944 J. Clay Smith, Jr. Foreword by Justice Thurgood Marshall "A monumental achievement."--"Southern University Law Review" "Emancipation is the first truly comprehensive reference book covering the first one hundred years of African Americans in the legal profession. Other legal historians and biographers must take Smith's work as a starting point for gauging the impact Black lawyers and institutions have had upon the evolution of the American legal profession."--"Black Issues in Higher Education" "The sheer quantity of information contained in Emancipation is overwhelming; the impact of page after page of data, stories and lives, and the thousands of detailed, extensive footnotes and documentation is simply overpowering. It is a monumental achievement."--"Southern University Law Review" "A remarkable piece of scholarship. . . . "Emancipation" contains a wealth of information previously unknown even to those who consider themselves well-informed about African-American history. . . . It will, I am sure, serve as the definitive authority on the history of black lawyers for years to come."--"St. Louis Post-Dispatch" Winner of the W. E. B. Du Bois Book Award of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists ""Emancipation" is an important and impressive work; one cannot read it without being inspired by the legal acumen, creativity, and resiliency these pioneer lawyers displayed. . . . It should be read by everyone interested in understanding the road African-Americans have traveled and the challenges that lie ahead."--From the Foreword, by Justice Thurgood Marshall J. Clay Smith, Jr., is Professor of Law and formerly Dean at the Howard University School of Law. He has served as President of the Washington Bar Association, as National President of the Federal Bar Association, and was appointed by President Jimmy Carter U.S. Commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, of which he later served as Acting Chairman under President Ronald Reagan. He is the author of "Rebels in Law: Voices in History of Black Women Lawyers" and editor of "Supreme Justice: Speeches and Writings" of Thurgood Marshall. 1993 760 pages 6 x 9 30 illus. ISBN 978-0-8122-1685-1 Paper $36.50s 24.00 World Rights Law, African-American/African Studies, American History