Product Description

Examines the life and accomplishments of the first black judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2894831 in Books
• Published on: 1995-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback

From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8-- Haskins emphasizes Marshall's enormous contributions to the civil rights movement and his unending commitment to the achievement of racial and social justice. He shows how his subject developed a deep faith in the constitution and the law and how he learned to use both of them to make lasting changes. He covers the many cases Marshall argued and won and the dangers he faced as he acted as point man for the NAACP as it challenged and eventually dismantled the legal underpinnings of segregation. One real strengh is the discussion of the difference between Marshall's constitutional tactics and those used by the Direct Actions Civil Rights Movement, led by Martin Luther King, Jr. The author includes information about Marshall the person, and uses plenty of quotes and anecdotes to bring him to life. This is similar to Aldred's Thurgood Marshall (Chelsea, 1990), which has almost exactly the same information, interpretations, and conclusions. Thus, libraries that already have it (and the very good video that accompanies it) might not need this one. Haskins's book, however, is slightly easier to read and understand, making it a good choice for libraries that serve younger readers. --Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
Unlike Martin Luther King, Jr. and others, Marshall devotedly pursued civil rights for African Americans through legal channels. Though the style of this sympathetic account is undistinguished, Haskins successfully establishes the social context of Marshall's career, presenting a full outline of major influences and political developments that affected him, as well as details of his personal life. Most enlightening are chapters explaining the strong effect that Marshall's family and the schools he attended had on his attitudes; one doesn't usually think of an eventual Supreme Court justice as a youthful ``cut- up.'' Occasionally, Haskins describes Marshall's thoughts and feelings without clear attribution (``He wondered why there were so many amendments to the Constitution about equal rights when he knew very well that black people did not enjoy equal rights in America''), but he does give credit for direct quotes. Coverage continues through Marshall's retirement, though it doesn't include his pungent comments on his successor. Bibliography; index. (Biography. 10-14.) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.