On September 9, PBS will debut a powerful new documentary honoring one of the most transformative legal minds in American history. Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect explores the life, legacy, and impact of Thurgood Marshall—the first African American Supreme Court Justice and a tireless architect of civil rights victories that still shape our nation.
The film is executive produced by award-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson (The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution / Tulsa Burning) and MPT’s Chief Content Officer Travis Mitchell, and directed by Alexis Aggrey.
Through a rare eight-hour oral history, the film becomes an intimate conversation with the man behind the legal dismantling of Jim Crow.
“For the first time, audiences will hear Thurgood Marshall tell his own story,” said Aggrey. “It’s not just a documentary; it’s a conversation with a man whose legal mind reshaped the nation and whose legacy still echoes through our justice system today.”
PBS documentary brings Thurgood Marshall to life
Born in Baltimore in 1908 and educated at HBCUs Lincoln University and Howard University School of Law, Marshall went on to win 29 out of 32 Supreme Court cases. One of those cases was the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
In 1967, he shattered a final barrier when President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The documentary bringing Thurgood Marshall to life also features interviews with Marshall’s family, legal scholars, and historians who reflect on how his vision still echoes across America’s justice system.
With a score by Grammy-winning composer Derrick Hodge, BECOMING THURGOOD offers a reckoning with America’s legal and racial legacy.
The documentary will premiere on Tuesday, September 9 at 10 p.m. ET on all station-
branded PBS platforms including PBS.org, and the PBS app, available on iOS, Android,
Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV,
Chromecast, and VIZIO.
It will also serve as the centerpiece of HBCU Week NOW 2025, amplifying the contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities through multimedia programming and digital engagement.
Related Stories:
- 54 years ago today Thurgood Marshall became first Black justice on U.S. Supreme Court
- Thurgood Marshall College Fund establishes Social Justice Center for HBCU research
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