Boynton v. Virginia

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Court	Supreme Court of the United States
Full case name
Argued
Reargued
Submitted
Indictment
Started
Decided	December 5, 1960
Verdict
Defendant

Boynton v. Virginia, 364 U.S. 454 (1960), was a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that held racial segregation in public transportation facilities, such as bus terminals, was illegal under the Interstate Commerce Act. This case was a significant step in the Civil Rights Movement and laid the groundwork for the Freedom Rides of 1961.

Background

In 1958, Bruce Boynton, an African American law student, was traveling from Washington, D.C., to Montgomery, Alabama, by bus. During a stop in Richmond, Virginia, Boynton entered the "whites only" section of a bus terminal restaurant. He was asked to leave and, upon refusal, was arrested and convicted of trespassing.

Boynton appealed his conviction, arguing that the segregation of the restaurant violated the Interstate Commerce Act, which prohibits unjust discrimination in interstate passenger transportation.

Supreme Court Decision

The case reached the Supreme Court, where Boynton was represented by Thurgood Marshall, who would later become the first African American Supreme Court Justice. The Court, in a 7-2 decision, reversed the Virginia Supreme Court's ruling, holding that the bus terminal restaurant was part of the interstate transportation system and thus subject to the Interstate Commerce Act.

Justice Hugo Black delivered the opinion of the Court, stating that racial segregation in such facilities was "unjust discrimination" and therefore illegal. The decision emphasized that the Interstate Commerce Act was designed to eliminate discrimination in interstate travel.

Impact

The decision in Boynton v. Virginia had a profound impact on the Civil Rights Movement. It provided a legal basis for challenging segregation in interstate travel facilities and inspired the Freedom Rides of 1961. These rides were organized by civil rights activists to test the enforcement of the Court's decision and to challenge segregation in the southern United States.

The ruling also reinforced the federal government's role in regulating interstate commerce and protecting civil rights, setting a precedent for future civil rights litigation.

See also

• Freedom Riders
• Interstate Commerce Act
• Civil Rights Movement
• Thurgood Marshall

References

• "Boynton v. Virginia," 364 U.S. 454 (1960).
• Arsenault, Raymond. Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice. Oxford University Press, 2006.

External links

• Oyez: Boynton v. Virginia