Thurgood was born on July 2, 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland. His birth name was Thoroughgood but it was later shortened to Thurgood in second grade. His father, William Thurgood was the grandson of a slave and was a steward for an exclusive club. His mother, Norma, was a kindergarten teacher. William loved to listen to different cases from the local courthouse. Then, he came home only to discuss them with his sons.
Both of his parents encouraged him in school. Their encouragement led to his biggest scholastic accomplishment. He memorized the whole U.S. Constitution, which was a common teacher punishment. Thurgood was overqualified for law school academically thanks to his parents' on-going support.
Being African-American, Thurgood was immediately for civil rights. He was raised to be proud of his heritage. His parents were successful role-models because of their steady jobs that they worked hard to get.
Biography.com, Thurgood Marshall Biography. Biography.com Editors. Web. A&E Television Networks. 18 May 2016
By Kennedy Thomas