Elimination of Bias: Thurgood Marshall’s Coming!

May 17, 2025 marked the 71st anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, KS 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's Coming!, featuring T. Mychael Rambo as Marshall, 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 of other nationalities of origin, religious and sexual preference – with the hope of eliminating these biases in the legal profession. 

The movie is followed by a filmed panel discussion about discrimination and ethical concerns about bias in the legal profession relating to equal access for minorities to law schools, the legal profession and justice under the law.

– Film Actor: T. Mychael Rambo, as Thurgood Marshall
– Film Producer: Periaktos Productions L.L.C.
– Honorable Tanya M. Bransford; Senior District Court Judge (Retired)
– James Fleming; Chief Public Defender, 2nd Judicial District (Retired)
– Kevin M. Lindsey; Minnesota Humanities Center
– Professor David A. Schultz; Hamline University (moderator)

Webcast also included in the following webcast package:
June Webcast Extravaganza