The first African American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court was Thurgood Marshall. Appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967, Marshall was a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement and is best known for his role as an attorney in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, which led to the desegregation of public schools in the United States. His position on the Supreme Court allowed him to advocate for civil rights and social justice through legal means, shaping important rulings on issues such as affirmative action and individual rights, thereby influencing American law and society.