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Here at NewsOne we decided to create a series where we focus on firsts in the African American community. Today, we ask our audience who the first African American Supreme Court Justice was as many in our community aren’t educated on our history.

The answer to our question is: Thurgood Marshall.

Marshall was the court’s 96th justice and its first African-American justice.

Before becoming a judge, Marshall was best known for his success as a lawyer and his victory in the Brown v. Board of Education case. He was also chief counsel for the NAACP in 1954, and argued more cases before the United States Supreme Court than anyone in history.

The only other African American to be appointed to the Supreme Court is Clarence Thomas, who has been a judge for 21 years after being appointed by former President George H.W. Bush.

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