QOD 2/25 Why was the Brown v. Board of Education supreme court case so monumental in United States history?

BROWN v. the BOARD of EDUCATION of TOPEKA, KANSAS, 1954

Reviewing the Case Linda Brown, 8 years old Topeka, Kansas Segregated public school system White neighbors went to a nearby school while Linda, an African- American, had to take a long bus ride to a black school. Class Action Suit- compilation of five law suits fighting against segregation in schools

Important Organizations NAACP – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People –Oldest civil rights organization, 1909 –Mapped out a legal strategy to fight segregation by utilizing the Civil Rights Amendments

Thurgood Marshall v. John W. Davis Thurgood Marshall in later years would say of Davis, “He was a good man... who believed segregation was a good thing.”

1. The Issue Before the Supreme Court Did the practice of segregating schools by race deprive black children of “equal protection of the law” guaranteed to all Americans regardless of race under the 14 th Amendment to the Constitution?

2. Facts Strategy changed from challenging equality of facilities, teachers, supplies to Challenging the effect that segregation itself had on the education of black children. -”generate a feeling of inferiority” -utilized results from psychological testing conducted by Kenneth & Mamie Clark as evidence -Doll Test Topeka, Kansas was the perfect school system to use for this argument

3. The SUPREME COURT unanimously overturned Plessy v. Ferguson. 9-0

Liberal Warren Court Chief Justice Earl Warren

4. Effects “We conclude that in the field of public education, the doctrine of “separate but equal” has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” Explain this in your own words.

Brown II How can integration be enforced? It sent all specific cases back to the district courts which it felt could give better consideration to local issues. -”Good faith compliance” -”With all deliberate speed”

In Closing, Do you think most states complied? What role was there for other branches and level of government in enforcing the Court’s ruling?