Brown v. Board of Education

Educational separation in the US prior to Brown Map

Warren Court 1953

Earl Warren

Judgment, Brown v. Board of Education, 05311955

Error creating thumbnail:

Brown V. Board of Education Exhibit

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. The decision effectively overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896, which allowed state-sponsored segregation, insofar as it applied to public education. Handed down on May 17, 1954, the Court's unanimous (9–0) decision stated that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." As a result, de jure racial segregation was ruled a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. This ruling paved the way for integration and was a major victory of the civil rights movement.

Background

The case was a consolidation of five different cases all challenging the same issue of public school segregation, but all brought forth in different states. These cases were filed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on behalf of African American elementary and high school students who were denied admission to public schools attended by white children under laws requiring or permitting segregation according to race. The states involved in these cases were Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.

Decision

The Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Earl Warren, held that racial segregation of children in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Chief Justice Warren wrote in the opinion that "in the field of public education, the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place, as segregated schools are inherently unequal." The Court argued that segregation of public education based on race instilled a sense of inferiority amongst African-American children that undermined their educational opportunities.

Impact

The decision in Brown v. Board of Education did not abolish segregation in other public areas, such as restaurants and restrooms, nor did it require desegregation of public schools by a specific time. It did, however, declare the legal basis for such segregation to be unconstitutional, leading to the eventual desegregation of schools across America and significantly advancing the civil rights movement. Following this decision, the Supreme Court delivered a second decision in Brown II (1955), which ordered school districts to desegregate "with all deliberate speed."

Legacy

The legacy of Brown v. Board of Education is monumental. It not only marked the end of legal segregation in American schools but also served as a catalyst for the civil rights movement, inspiring education reform and further legal actions against racial discrimination. The decision has been subject to various interpretations and critiques over the years, particularly regarding its effectiveness in achieving racial integration and equality in education. Nonetheless, Brown v. Board of Education remains a pivotal moment in American legal and social history, symbolizing the fight against racial injustice and inequality.