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Thurgood Marshall’s Coming!
Total Credits: 2.5 including 2.5 Ethics
- Average Rating:
- 26
- Categories:
- Legal Ethics
- Faculty:
- Anna Marie Thatcher | T. Mychael Rambo | Honorable Tanya M. Bransford | James Fleming | Kevin Lindsey, Esq. | David Schultz, Esq.
- Course Levels:
- Intermediate
- Duration:
- 2:38
- Format:
- Audio and Video
- License:
- Access for 60 day(s) after purchase.
Description
May 17, 2025 marked the 71st Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which legally ended racial segregation in the schools of the United States. The lead attorney for the plaintiffs in the cases that, together, are now known as “Brown,” was Thurgood Marshall, a passionate and embattled civil rights lawyer.
Thurgood Marshall is one of the giant figures in the history of American jurisprudence. He was born into poverty and grew up in the Jim Crow racism of the early twentieth century. He became the first African American Solicitor General of the United States and then the first African American to serve as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Marshall was called “Mr. Civil Rights” by some, but he never wanted to be known as a “civil rights leader.” He saw the law as the arena where minorities and oppressed citizens could find relief, and he wanted to be known first, last and always as a lawyer. In the end he was a powerful, resourceful and successful advocate for individual human and civil rights and his life serves as a model for tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds.
Thurgood Marshall’s Coming!, featuring T. Mychael Rambo, portrays Marshall as an old man on the eve of his retirement as he ruminates and relives past trials and victories. Marshall was a master of language, storytelling and imitation and the play uses all of these to create a powerful solo presentation. His sense of humor and equanimity balance some of the bitterness he felt in his long journey and his legal arguments and rhetorical style are at once evocative and entertaining. Using Marshall’s own writings and reflections, the movie explores the discrimination he faced as he tried to enter law school, practice as a lawyer and defend the civil rights of others.
The movie shines a light on prejudice in the legal profession and the barriers to hiring that prevent full participation of lawyers of color, women and those with other nationalities of origin, religious and sexual orientation – with the hope of eliminating these biases in the legal profession. One of the best compliments received from one lawyer attending the program was, “The program made me feel what it was like to be Thurgood Marshall.” We believe feeling what discrimination is like is a step to helping lawyers to overcome their prejudices.
The movie is followed by a filmed panel discussion. Attendees are asked to focus on the issues demonstrated in the play relating to the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and The Diversity Policy of the American Inns of Court.
Handouts
| Thurgood Marshall's Coming - Materials 2025 (2.2 MB) | 52 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Faculty
Anna Marie Thatcher Related Seminars and Products
T. Mychael Rambo Related Seminars and Products
T. Mychael Rambo who portrays Thurgood Marshall, makes his home in Saint Paul, Minnesota and is a Regional Emmy Award winning actor, vocalist, arts educator and community organizer. He has made an indelible mark in the Twin Cities, performing countless principle roles at numerous theatres, including Penumbra, the Guthrie, Ordway Theatre, Illusion Theatre, Mixed Blood, Park Square Theatre, Children’s Theatre, Ten Thousand Things, Theatre Latte Da and Minnesota Opera. He has toured nationally and internationally, and his stage credits include Carnegie Hall and performances in Africa, Europe and South America. He has appeared in several feature films, including “The Cure,” “Justice,” “Crossing the Bridge” and “Wooley Boys” and in local and national television commercials, as well as in the HBO mini-series “Laurel Avenue” and “Equinox.” He is an Associate Professor of Theatre Arts and Dance in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota and has conducted numerous artist residencies for COMPAS, Young Audiences, the Minnesota State Arts Board and VocalEssence. As a recording artist, Mr. Rambo has released two popular CDs, “Simply” - a collection of jazz standards, and “The Gift; A Christmas With Love,” a selection of original and holiday classics. He has had the great honor of singing the National Anthem for both President Barack Obama and former President Jimmy Carter. Mr. Rambo is the recipient of the 2010 Sally Award in Arts Education, presented by the Ordway Theatre, and the 2010 Minnesota Black Music Award. His numerous other honors and awards include Young Audience Artist of the Year, McKnight Theatre Artist Fellowship, Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Fellowship, Bush Finalist and both the University of Minnesota Century Council Community Award and Outstanding Community Service Award.
Mr. Rambo is also a dedicated community volunteer and works closely with many groups, including the African American AIDS Project, African American Family Services, Peace House Foundation, Arm in Arm in Africa and the Urban League. One of his great-aunt’s favorite sayings was “Service is the rent due for living on this planet.” Mr. Rambo, who views himself a “citizen of the planet,” has spent a great deal of his professional life giving back as an arts activist and community organizer - seeking and engaging social change through the mediums of theatre, performance art, spoken word and song. He firmly believes that we are all powerful agents of change. Each of us through our creativity, personal efforts and life force has the power to be and create the change we want to see in the world.
Honorable Tanya M. Bransford Related Seminars and Products
Judge
TANYA M. BRANSFORD began her legal career in private practice working in the areas of personal injury, criminal defense and worker’s compensation. She served as a District Court Judge in Minnesota’s Hennepin County District Court in from 1994 until her retirement in November 2023. As a trial court judge, she presided over cases in the areas of criminal, civil, juvenile, traffic and family law. Judge Bransford served as the Presiding Juvenile Court Judge from 2006 – 2008, and during her tenure, she led the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, which dramatically reduced the numbers of young people who were unnecessarily detained.
Prior to her appointment as a District Court Judge, Bransford was the first Black woman to serve as a District Court Judge. She was the first Black woman to serve as a District Court Referee in Hennepin County and the first Black woman Worker’s Compensation Judge with the Office of Administrative Hearing. Judge Bransford is a member of the board of the National Consortium of Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts and is a founding member of the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers. She serves on the Judicial Endorsement Committee which has helped to increase the number of Black judges in the State of Minnesota. Her honors and awards include the
National Bar Association’s 2023 Thurgood Marshall Award, the Minnesota Lawyer’s Diversity and Inclusion Award, the Minneapolis Association of Black Lawyers President’s Award, and the Champions of Change Award from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
She currently works as an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law and as a Senior Judge as needed to cover cases for District Court Judges. Her community involvement includes service on the board of Vocal Essence. She is also a member of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of The Links Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church where she sings in the Mass Choir.
Judge Bransford is a cum laude graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College and she received her law degree from Hamline University School of Law (now Mitchell Hamline School of Law). She and her husband Jeffrey Lewis are the proud parents of three adult children and four grandchildren.
James Fleming Related Seminars and Products
JAMES “JIM” FLEMING has almost 40 years of experience as a prosecutor and public defender. He served for eleven years as Chief Public Defender in Minnesota – in the 5th Judicial District (Mankato) from 2001 to 2007 and in the 2nd Judicial District (St. Paul) from 2016 to 2022. Prior to that he was a partner in Maschka, Riedy & Ries Law Firm for almost ten years with a focus on personal injury and criminal defense.
Now retired, his trial experience includes more than 100 trial-to-verdict jury cases. He was named Minnesota Attorney of the Year in 2012 and 2019 and was chosen as a Super Lawyer by Minnesota Law & Politics. Fleming is a certified Criminal Law Specialist and has taught trial advocacy in Minnesota and several other states.
He holds a B.B.A. from St. Norbert College (De Pere, WI) and a J.D. from William Mitchell School of Law (now Mitchell Hamline School of Law.) He is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and Minnesota Association for Justice.
Kevin Lindsey, Esq. Related Seminars and Products
KEVIN LINDSEY received his B.S. in Political Science and J.D. from the University of Iowa. A widely respected advocate and lawyer with a wealth of experience in public policy and education, he has been the CEO of the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) since June of 2019. Prior to joining MHC, Lindsey served in Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton’s cabinet as the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights from 2011 to 2019, during which time he increased the effectiveness of the Department and helped to secure passage of legislation benefitting historically marginalized communities.
Lindsey was honored as the Iowa Law Review’s Distinguished Alumni in 2017 and was selected in 2018 as a “50 Over 50” honoree with the AARP Minnesota and Pollen Award, which celebrates and recognizes Minnesotans over the age of 50 who have made significant contributions and achievements in their communities. Lindsey was honored with the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts Civitas Award and Minnesota Lawyer's Diversity and Inclusion Award in 2021.
Lindsey’s hope is that we as a nation can come together, witness our past, and overcome the inequities to create a union in which inclusivity is innate for everyone. The role of the Minnesota Humanities Center is to be the first responders when our democracy is in crisis, meaning that it brings people together to increase understanding and spark change. The center uses humanities to teach cultural awareness and competence, as well as empathy. It is the center’s belief that humanities has the power to bring about change for the betterment of our society. A proven change-maker fueled by his passion for inclusion, Lindsey’s career has been focused on leveraging the power of personal stories, finding solutions to complex problems, and building a stronger democracy. He has served on the board of the Federation of State Humanities Councils since 2021 and currently serves on the boards of Wonderlust Theatre, the Federation of State Humanities Councils, the St. Paul Public Housing Authority, and as chair of the board of the African American Leadership Forum. He was recently elected as President of the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers in June of 2024.
David Schultz, Esq. Related Seminars and Products
DAVID SCHULTZ (Panel Moderator) is Distinguished University Professor in the Departments of Political Science, Environmental Studies, and Legal Studies at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. He is Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas and serves as an affiliate faculty member at the Lithuanian Military Academy in Vilnius, Lithuania. A four-time Fulbright scholar who has taught extensively in Europe and Asia, and the winner of the Leslie A. Whittington national award for excellence in public affairs teaching.
Professor Schultz is the author of more than 45 books and more than 200 articles on various aspects of American politics, election law, and media and politics. He is regularly interviewed and quoted on these subjects in the local, national, and international media, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, the Economist, and National Public Radio. His most recent books are Constitutional Precedent in US Supreme Court Reasoning (2022), Handbook of Election Law (2022), and Presidential Swing States (2022). Prior to teaching, he served as a city director of planning, zoning and code enforcement, and as a housing and economic planner for a community action agency. He is on the American Cancer Society Minnesota Advisory Board, is former executive director of Common Cause Minnesota, and served as a former vice-president for the Minnesota and South Texas chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union. He is licensed to practice law in Minnesota and before the US Supreme Court.
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