Supreme Court Cases:Brown v. Board of

Education of Topeka, KS

1954

Supreme Court DecisionSupreme Court Decision

Supreme Court case

Brown v. Board of

Education(1954)

“Historical circumstances”

Court’s decision (or ruling)

SPECIFIC impact

Supreme Court Cases:Brown v. Board of

Education of Topeka, KS

1954

The “historical circumstances” of the Brown v. Board case

Linda Brown was an eight Linda Brown was an eight year old, African American year old, African American schoolgirl who was denied schoolgirl who was denied admission to an all-white admission to an all-white elementary school four elementary school four blocks from her house.blocks from her house.

She was told she had to attend the She was told she had to attend the nearest all-black school, twenty-nearest all-black school, twenty-one blocks away. Her parents sued one blocks away. Her parents sued as part of a class action lawsuit as part of a class action lawsuit with thirteen other families, with thirteen other families, challenging the school board’s challenging the school board’s practice of operating racially practice of operating racially segregated school.segregated school.

Segregation had become accepted Segregation had become accepted practice with the Supreme Court’s practice with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. In the Brown case, the notion that In the Brown case, the notion that education facilities for African-education facilities for African-Americans was anywhere close to Americans was anywhere close to equal to that provided for whites equal to that provided for whites was challenged. was challenged.

Furthermore, the plaintiffs Furthermore, the plaintiffs argued that segregated argued that segregated schools contributed to schools contributed to discrimination against discrimination against African-Americans in African-Americans in society as a whole.society as a whole.

The Court’s ruling:

In a landmark decision, the Supreme In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court unanimously stuck down Court unanimously stuck down segregation because it was a violation segregation because it was a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. Segregation was Protection Clause. Segregation was declared unconstitutional and, declared unconstitutional and, therefore, illegal. But making therefore, illegal. But making segregation illegal was one thing, segregation illegal was one thing, enforcing it was another.enforcing it was another.

While some communities While some communities desegregated schools desegregated schools without any major without any major problems, there were more problems, there were more places where it was places where it was resisted, even to the point resisted, even to the point of violence.of violence.

This resistance to desegregation This resistance to desegregation caused the Supreme Court to make caused the Supreme Court to make a second ruling on the Brown case a second ruling on the Brown case in 1955, referred to as Brown II. It in 1955, referred to as Brown II. It ordered the integration of public ordered the integration of public school to be implemented “with all school to be implemented “with all deliberate speed.”deliberate speed.”

SPECIFIC impact of the case:

the Little Rock nine

These rulings directly let to the These rulings directly let to the crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas in crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. Nine African-American 1957. Nine African-American students (called the “Little Rock students (called the “Little Rock Nine”) were kept from attending Nine”) were kept from attending Central High School by Arkansas Central High School by Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, who Governor Orval Faubus, who ordered the National Guard to ordered the National Guard to keep the students out.keep the students out.

A federal judge ordered the school A federal judge ordered the school to admit the students. The NAACP to admit the students. The NAACP arranged to escort the students to arranged to escort the students to school, but could not reach one of school, but could not reach one of them, Elizabeth Eckford, who set them, Elizabeth Eckford, who set off to school alone. Images of the off to school alone. Images of the abusive crowds Eckford faced abusive crowds Eckford faced helped put a human face on the helped put a human face on the issue.issue.

President Dwight D. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who initially tried Eisenhower, who initially tried to stay out of the issue, was to stay out of the issue, was compelled to act. The National compelled to act. The National Guard was put under federal Guard was put under federal control and, as Commander-In-control and, as Commander-In-Chief, ordered troops to escort Chief, ordered troops to escort the students to class.the students to class.

Despite daily escorts to class Despite daily escorts to class for the rest of the school year, for the rest of the school year, the Little Rock Nine, like others the Little Rock Nine, like others fighting segregation, faced fighting segregation, faced harassment. Organizations like harassment. Organizations like the KKK regained strength, the KKK regained strength, fueled by the issue.fueled by the issue.

In response to the national In response to the national attention brought to the issue, attention brought to the issue, Congress passed the first civil Congress passed the first civil rights act since Reconstruction. rights act since Reconstruction. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 gave The Civil Rights Act of 1957 gave the U.S. attorney general greater the U.S. attorney general greater power over school segregation and power over school segregation and federal courts jurisdiction over federal courts jurisdiction over violations of voting rights cases.violations of voting rights cases.