3. The Reason Briggs v. Elliott The Reason

4. In the 1940s, things were very different in South Carolina.

5. WHITE children went to A FEW CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS.

6. BLACK children went to MANY SMALL LOCAL SCHOOLS.

7. Schools like Halley Town served black children.

8. A Colored school used until 1941

9. Spring Hill School for Coloreds had two rooms. It was maintained by Spring Hill Church and the Masonic Lodge.

10. Rosenwald School for Colored Children

11. Liberty Hill School for Colored Children

12. Silver School for Colored Children

13. Paxville School for Colored Children

14. Scotts Branch School for Colored Children

15. Summerton Consolidated High School for White Children

16. Many rural children lived a long distance from their schools

17. White rural children traveled to their consolidated schools by bus.

18. Early 1930s bus for white children

19. In 1945, there was NO BUS for Colored Children

20. For some black children, the nearest school with their grade was 10 miles away!

21. Mr. Levi Pearson was unhappy that there was NO BUS to take his children to school

22. Rev. J.A. De Laine was an A.M.E. pastor. He was Mr. Pearsons friend.

23. In 1947, Mr. J.M. Hinton challenged:No teacher or preacher in South Carolina has the courage to get a plaintiff to test the school bus transportation practices of discrimination against Negro children.

24. Rev. De Laine took the challenge and Mr. Pearson agreed to be the Plaintiff.

25. Levi Pearson vs. Clarendon County and School District No. 26 became the First Legal Step toward Briggs v. Elliott A Lawsuit:

26. Even with poor facilities and no buses, black children still went to school and achieved.

27. 7th Grade Graduates Liberty Hill School

28. Liberty Hill Graduates and Teacher

29. Scotts Branch School 7 th Grade Class 1940

30. Briggs v. Elliott started as a simple quest for equal access to education

31. It grew to end in Better Educational Opportunities for all American children

33. Briggs v. Elliott The Heroes

34. PLAINTIFFS in Briggs v. Elliott

35. HARRY BRIGGS Briggs v. Elliott Plaintiff

36. ANNIE GIBSON

37. MOSE OLIVER

38. BENNIE PARSON

39. EDWARD RAGIN

40. WILLIAM RAGIN

41. LUCRISHER RICHARDSON

42. LEE RICHARDSON

43. JAMES BENNETT

44. MARY OLIVER

45. WILLIAM STUKES

46. G. H. HENRY

47. ROBERT GEORGIA

48. REBECCA RICHBURG

49. GABRIEL TINDAL

50. SUSAN LAWSON

51. FREDERICK OLIVER

52. ONETHA BENNETT

53. HAZEL RAGIN

54. HENRY SCOTT

55. 20 HEROES We Salute 20 HEROES Briggs v. Elliott Plaintiffs

56. We also Salute Other Martyrs in Clarendon Countys quest for equality

57. Mr. James McKnight, who was not a plaintiff, was murdered by racists in front of his family

58. Mr. Bo Stukes, a plaintiff, died while trying to continue working as an auto repair mechanic after being fired. A poorly secured car fell on him while he was working.

59. Altered records denied Mr. Reverdy Wells, Scotts Branch 1949 class valedictorian, the opportunity of higher education

60. Before it was over, Rev. De Laine was sued, shot at, homeless and listed as a fugitive from South Carolina justice.

61. Mrs. Mattie De Laine, helpmate of Rev. J.A. De Laine. Her house burned while firemen watched.

62. Judge J. Waites Waring became a social outcast.

63. Judge Waring would NOT hear a lawsuit for Separate But Equal

64. Judge Waring, in a dissenting District Court opinion, said BLACK SCHOOLS WERE NOT EQUAL

65. They say you already have Separate But Equal schools. BUT there is no such thing as Separate But Equal

67. Briggs v. Elliott Through The Courts

68. First came the Pearson bus transportation lawsuit

69. Then came the first Briggs v. Elliott, suing for Separate But Equal

70. In 1951, there was the final Briggs v. Elliott, suing for desegregation

71. However, the judges did rule that school facilities must be made MORE EQUAL for black children

72. Warings Dissenting Opinion in a Nutshell: You guys ought to be ashamed to call such rot justice from a United States Court. I want no part of it. The dissenting Judge Waring

73. South Carolina approved a $75,000,000 bond to support equalization of schools.

74. At last, school buses were provided for black children

75. A new building (top) equalized Scotts Branch School and Summerton High (bottom) Scotts Branch Summerton High

76. Briggs v. Elliott was appealed to the Supreme Court

77. On January 28, 1952, Briggs v. Elliott was returned to the District Court for a report on equalization progress

78. By the time Briggs v. Elliott got back to the Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education was there

79. Briggs v. Elliott and three other cases were argued along with Brown v. Board of Education

80. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled In the field of public education, the doctrine of separate but equal has no place.

81. In response to pleas about the time needed to integrate schools, on May 31, 1955, the Court ruled Admission to public schools on a non-discriminatory basis must take place with all deliberate speed.

82. Many civil rights battles were later fought, but the heroes of Briggs v. Elliott had set the stage. America had promised to uphold its guarantee of LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.