With a life that took the country by storm and a legacy that continues to spark conversations across the globe, the life and work of civil rights attorney and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, portrayed in the movie, “Marshall,” could not come out at a better time.

The premise for Marshall is an unexpected one. As the movie promotes, “As the nation teeters on the brink of WW11, a nearly bankrupt NAACP sends Thurgood Marshall to conservative Connecticut to defend a black chauffeur.”

Now as a nation divided, we need leaders like Thurgood Marshall who will take a stand for people instead of politics. The history of Marshall leaves something to be desired in our current political figures.

“First and foremost, I think the legacy of Thurgood Marshall is properly representing the office you hold,” Alphonso Braggs, President of Hawaiʻi’s chapter of the NAACP, said.

President Trump has record low approval ratings, 223 days in and only 39% of America approves of him. As a symbol of democracy, these ratings are a sure sign of the downward spiral America has taken in recent years when it comes to politicians.

Thurgood Marshall stood for justice even when many stood in his way. Now as America struggles with the aftermath of the protests in Charlottesville, Virginia and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) debate, we need leaders who inspire confidence and are willing to fight for social justice.

“You can’t take it [social justice] for granted,” Braggs said.