A new PBS documentary is on its way. “Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect” focuses on one of America’s legal icons who paved the way for monumental moments in human rights and American history, such as the landmark 1954 win of Brown v. the Board of Education, which put a stop to segregation in public schools.
Viewers will be able to explore the life and legacy of Justice Marshall, as they will be able to watch the one-hour documentary that has a collection of personal photographs, oral histories, and exclusive interviews.
“There were hardly any Supreme Court Justices who were nominated to the high court who—before they were nominated—had to operate under a constant series of death threats for trying to do their job,” said Haygood, who is the author of “Showdown: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination That Changed America (2015).” Haygood emphasized the tumultuous fight that Marshall had to put up with as he navigated systemic racism and triumphed through numerous threats from the Ku Klux Klan during his career.
Known around the world as the first African American associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1967 to 1991, Thurgood Marshall was a lawyer, civil rights activist, and overall leader within Black American culture and American history. Distinguished as one of America’s most notable lawyers, Marshall struck major victories through winning 29 out of 32 cases that he contended on the floors of the Supreme Court.
Born July 2, 1908, in Baltimore, Md., Marshall attended Lincoln University and Howard University’s School of Law as he grew into a civil rights champion and helped dismantle segregation.
Executive produced by Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson and MPT Senior Vice President and Chief Content Officer Travis Mitchell, the film is produced and directed by Alexis Aggrey, with music by two-time Grammy Award-winning composer Derrick Hodge.
Aggrey expressed how much in-depth research it took for her to develop the documentary, as it was important for her to help the viewers truly get to know Marshall as a person, not just as a civil rights legend. She spoke to Our Weekly and opened up about how, while she knew about Thurgood Marshall, she did not know the small details about Marshall, such as how his voice sounded, which sparked her to dig further into her research for the documentary.
“I dug into research and found several oral histories. Thurgood Marshall was really brilliant, and because he was so private, he didn’t necessarily want these oral histories made public. You have to get permission from his family to even hear them.”
Aggrey expressed the high amount of intentionality put into the creation of Marshall’s story.
“We had the sort of scary task of reaching out to the family and seeing if they would be willing to allow us to use these oral histories and to participate. I was so overjoyed that Cecilia Marshall—Justice Marshall’s granddaughter—helped me.” She continued, “She and I became fast friends, like soul sisters; we just immediately bonded, and she understood what I was trying to do. She trusted me with the story, and I’m so grateful for that.”
Aggrey hopes that students who attend HBCUs gain inspiration from the documentary and further recognize the value of their education, like she did, as she is also a graduate of Norfolk State University.
The Emmy Award-winning executive producer of “Becoming Thurgood,” Stanley Nelson, spoke to Our Weekly and emphasized the importance of the timeliness of this documentary airing during the current national fight for human rights. He also reflected on his intention of focusing on Marshall’s childhood and college life as a young man to add to the famed civil rights attorney’s sense of normalcy as he climbed his way up to work within the U.S. Supreme Court.
“His story has always been relevant and timely. But I think that now, when we have a real attack on history, especially African American history, it becomes more relevant than ever.” He continued, “It is important to note that the Supreme Court was a different entity back then than what it is now. A Republican [back then] could nominate someone like Marshall, and it was a bit more balanced, which is very different from what we are seeing right now.”
A pure depiction of Marshall’s extraordinary influence, “Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect” premieres Sept. 9, 2025, 10:00-11:00 p.m. EST (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS app. The film will serve as the centerpiece of HBCU Week NOW 2025, a public media partnership that offers content about the history, legacy, cultural heritage, and degree programs offered by America’s HBCUs.