Briggs v. Elliott

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Court	United States District Court for the Eastern District of South Carolina
Full case name
Argued
Reargued
Submitted
Indictment
Started
Decided	1952
Verdict
Defendant

Briggs v. Elliott was a significant court case in the United States that challenged racial segregation in public schools. It was one of the five cases combined into the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954, which declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Background

The case originated in Clarendon County, South Carolina, where African American parents, led by Harry Briggs, Sr., filed a lawsuit against the local school board, represented by R.W. Elliott. The plaintiffs were represented by attorney Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

The plaintiffs argued that the segregated school system in Clarendon County was inherently unequal, as African American children were forced to attend schools with inferior facilities, resources, and transportation compared to their white counterparts. This was a direct challenge to the "separate but equal" doctrine established by the Plessy v. Ferguson decision in 1896.

The Case

The case was heard in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of South Carolina. The three-judge panel included Judge J. Waties Waring, who was known for his progressive views on civil rights.

In 1951, the court ruled against the plaintiffs, upholding the constitutionality of school segregation. However, Judge Waring issued a dissenting opinion, arguing that segregation was inherently unequal and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Appeal and Supreme Court Decision

The decision in Briggs v. Elliott was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was consolidated with four other cases under the title Brown v. Board of Education. In 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine.

Impact

The Briggs v. Elliott case was instrumental in the fight against segregation and played a crucial role in the civil rights movement. It highlighted the disparities in educational opportunities for African American children and set the stage for further legal challenges to racial discrimination.

See also

• Brown v. Board of Education
• Plessy v. Ferguson
• Civil Rights Movement

References

• Kluger, Richard. Simple Justice: The History of Brown v. Board of Education and Black America's Struggle for Equality. New York: Vintage Books, 2004.
• Tushnet, Mark. The NAACP's Legal Strategy Against Segregated Education, 1925-1950. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1987.

External links

• Brown v. Board of Education on Oyez