Brown v. Board of Education

Introduction

In January 1954, Linda Brown and her younger sister walked to a segregated school instead of a neighborhood school. Their father challenged the doctrine of “separate but equal” that forced his children to attend an all-black school by filing suit against the School Board of Topeka, Kansas. His case, joined with four others from nearby states, was brought before the U.S. Supreme Court. On May 17, 1954, the Court unanimously held in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, that state-sanctioned segregation of public schools was a violation of the 14th Amendment and was therefore unconstitutional.

Assignment

You are to examine Brown v. Board of Education by answering the following questions.

• What was meant by "separate but equal"?

• Would "separate but equal" have been acceptable if the school facilities in segregated schools really were physically equal?

• Besides the obvious, what was inherently missing in segregated schools?

• What roles did Earl Warren and Thurgood Marshall play?

• How did their local newspaper report the decision?

• Why did the Court issue another ruling in 1955 known as Brown II ?

• What are the key words from Brown II ?

• What was public reaction to these rulings across the country?

• How did the decision and public reaction affect the civil rights movement?

Primary Sources