Thurgood Marshall (July 2, 1908 -- January 24, 1993) was an American lawyer, serving as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from October 1967 until October 1991. Marshall was the Court 's 96th justice and its first African - American justice. Prior to his judicial service, he successfully argued several cases before the Supreme Court.
who was the first african american to serve on the supreme court
Thurgood Marshall