Brown v Topeka, 1954

What was the Brown v Board of Education case?

Brown v the Board of Education of Topeka was a legal case taken with 4 others to the Supreme Court by the NAACP to end segregation on the basis it was unconstitutional.

When did the Supreme Court rule on the Brown v Board of Education case?

The Supreme Court gave its verdict on 17th May, 1954.

What were the causes of the Brown v Board of Education case?

There were 3 main reasons the Brown v the Board of Education of Topeka happened:

• ❖ In 1951, Linda Brown was not allowed to go to the local all-white summer school because she was black.
• ❖ Her father, Oliver Brown, with the support of the NAACP, brought a case called Brown v Topeka to the local courts in June 1951.
• ❖ The court case failed, but the NAACP and Oliver Brown tried again with 4 other cases.

What happened in the Brown v Board of Education case?

There were 2 main events during Brown v the Board of Education of Topeka:

• ❖ Thurgood Marshall, the key NAACP lawyer, argued that 'separate but equal' was damaging to black American students.
• ❖ The judges, led by Chief Justice Warren, were convinced by his arguments and ruled unanimously that segregation was unconstitutional in education.

What was argued at the Brown v Board of Education case?

The NAACP's argument was that even if equal educational provision and facilities were made available, the Plessy v Ferguson decision from 1896 of 'separate but equal' made black children feel inferior and this therefore broke the 14th Amendment.

What was the 14th Amendment in the US constitution that was important in Brown v Board of Education?

The 14th Amendment to the US constitution gave citizenship to African Americans, which meant they had equal rights and protection under the law.

What was the verdict in the Brown v Board of Education case?

There were 2 main details from the Supreme Court's verdict:

• ❖ The Supreme Court ruled that Plessy was unconstitutional and schools should desegregate.
• ❖ The ending of racial segregation.

What was the problem with the verdict of the Brown v Board of Education case?

Although the Supreme Court ruled desegregation should happen, it didn't say when. This meant schools could avoid complying with the court's decision.

What did the court rule to enforce desegregation in the Brown v Board of Education case?

The following year, in May 1955, the court further ruled all states must make a 'prompt and reasonable start' on desegregation. However, it still failed to give a deadline for when this should happen.

What was the positive effect of the Brown v Board of Education case?

There were 4 main positive effects of the Brown v Board of Education case:

• ❖ It raised awareness of the racial inequalities that existed and kick-started the legal battle for civil rights for all.
• ❖ It was massive leap forward in civil rights as the Plessy v Ferguson ruling had been successfully challenged, which paved the way for future challenges in other areas.
• ❖ The Supreme Court had finally supported the civil rights movement by ruling in its favour.
• ❖ Schools did integrate, but very slowly.

What were the negative effects the Brown v Board of Education case?

There were 5 main negative results for African Americans due to the verdict in the Brown v Topeka case:

• ❖ Some people wanted to preserve segregation and an organisation called the White Citizens' Council was set up in Mississippi. This grew into a network.
• ❖ African American students regularly experienced threats and bullying after the case.
• ❖ Many African American teachers either lost their jobs or experienced harassment from white students.
• ❖ As a result of the backlash, black schools with good teachers and high levels of achievement closed.
• ❖ Race relations in the south became incredibly tense, with increased violence by the KKK. It is in this context that the murder of Emmett Till occurred.