Brown+Vs.+Board+of+Education

Make a bulleted list of the basic facts of the __cases__ brought to the Supreme Court
 * THE BASIC FACTS OF THE CASES ****  (more than one) (check [|video], [|Link 1] , [|Link 2] , [|Link 3] )  **

1. Oliver Brown’s daughter, Linda, was forced to walk 21 blocks to the nearest black school. 2. There was a white school just 7 blocks away from her house. 3. This was not the only case concerning racial segregation of education; there were cases from five different places – Kansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, South Carolina, and Virginia. ** THE MAIN ARGUMENTS OF THE PLAINTIFF  ****  (for integration) (check [|Link 1] )  ** List the major arguments of the plaintiffs

The plaintiffs relied on legal arguments, historical evidence, and psychological studies. They said that in the case // Plessy vs. Ferguson //, the Supreme Court misinterpreted the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Equal protection of the laws didn’t allow racial segregation. Also, the 14th Amendment allowed the gov’t to prohibit any discriminatory state action based on race, including segregation in public schools. In addition to that, the 14th Amendment did not specify whether states would or would not be allowed to establish segregated education. Lastly, psychological testing demonstrated the harmful effects of segregation on the minds of African American children. ** THE MAIN ARGUMENTS OF THE DEFENDANTS  ****  (for segregation) (check [|Link 1] )  ** List the major arguments of the Defendants

The defendants claimed four things: the Constitution did not require white and African American children to attend the same schools; social separation of blacks and whites was a regional custom and the states should be left free to regulate their own social affairs; segregation was not harmful to black people; and whites were making a good faith effort to equalize the two educational systems. ** THE CHANGE IN THE COURT  ****  (leading to a decision) (check  **  [|**Link 1**] ** ) ** What important change happened in the Supreme Court, and what was its impact? Justice Fred Vinson died, so Dwight Eisenhower appointed Earl Warren as chief justice. His leadership produced a unanimous decision to overturn the // Plessy // trial, which changed the course of human history.

** THE COURT DECISION  ****  (in your own words) (check  **  [|**Link 1**] ** and Link 2) ** What did the Supreme Court decide in the landmark decision?

They decided that “separate but equal” only applied to transportation in the first place, but mainly that the education system was an issue. Education was very important and racial segregation of any kind deprived African Americans of equal protection under the 14th Amendment and due process of law under the Fifth Amendment. ** ENFORCING THE DECISION  ****  (discuss "with all deliberate speed) (Check [|Link 1]   **  [|Video] )  What was the Court's statement about the enforcement of the decision? What happened to the enforcement?

The Supreme Court said integration would be started with “all immediate speed”, but this was vague and gave segregationalists time to rally and protest integration. White supremacists protested outside of schools, holding signs that said things like “INTEGRATION IS COMMUNISM” and “I WON’T GO TO SCHOOL WITH NEGROES”. ** THE IMPACT and LEGACY  ** **  (Check  **  [|**Link 1**] ** ) ** What is the overall importance and legacy of // Brown v. Board //? It increased tension between anti-integration southerners and equal rights supporting African Americans. In addition, other minorities, such as women and the disabled, demanded equal opportunity as well.