Will Goldman
Mrs. Guinn
ELA9: Hour 1
20 Feb. 2017
In the 1950’s there was a large problem in the United States education system coming to a head in Topeka, Kansas. The segregation of the school system in Topeka, Kansas caused Mr. Oliver Brown's daughter to not be eligible to attend the school just a few blocks from their new home. Soon what had started as a local court hearing gained momentum as Brown’s case was heard nationwide. Starting in the mid 1950’s Oliver Brown wanted the desegregation of the Topeka school system. To achieve this goal, Brown took on the Topeka Board of Education all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. The actions of Brown and his supporters resulted in the complete desegregation of the schools all across the United States, and today he is known for his perseverance though incredibly difficult times and opposition as a fighter for equality in
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Brown’s motivation for filing against the Board stemmed from his desire for his daughter to attend the school only four blocks from their home. However, Kansas Laws required African American children to attend different school than their peers of other racial backgrounds. In attempt to stand up for the equal rights for all children, “Brown joined with other African American families to engage the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP; a prominent civil rights organization) to file a lawsuit against the board of education of Topeka” (Moore, GVRL). As a result, Brown showed that not only did he want to desegregate the school system, but that people in African American community were willing to fight for equality. This is shown due to the fact that the NAACP was involved in the filings of this lawsuit, and multiple other African American families were also a part of this
In Melba Pattillo Beals’ Warriors Don’t Cry, she recalls her adolescent years as being one of the nine African American students that chose to attend an all-white high school. In this memoir, she brings to light all of the horrible attacks they underwent. As a young girl, Melba became aware of the separation between whites and blacks, and strived to rise above that. She had a very religious family and black people during this time period learned to accept that they were less-privileged because of their skin color. She went to visit some relatives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was astonished when white people were nice, or simply even smiled at her.
Thanks to the results in the Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) trial, which ruled segregation in American schools as unconstitutional and the Cooper vs. Aaron (1958) trail which ruled that Arkansas could not pass legislation that blocked the ruling of Brown vs. the Board Education, nine African American students were able to attend a white High School in Little Rock Arkansas. In the image above Elizabeth Eckford is walking to Central High School with the protection of the U.S National Guard soldiers while a group of angry white protestors follow her. Elizabeth is shown to be unfazed by the white protestors and continues to walk to school because she wanted the right to an equal education. Even though Elizabeth Eckford was protected, she still
The Brown v. Board of Education was a monumental decision as it expressed that “separate but unequal” from Plessy v. Ferguson was inherently unequal, meaning it was unconstitutional. The decision overturned Plessy v. Ferguson as it stated that racial segregation of public education violated the Fourteenth Amendment. Oliver Brown was a parent of a child that was rejected from Topeka’s white schools and Brown took this injustice to court. With the leadership of Chief Justice Earl Warren, a unanimous decision was ruled to desegregate the public education system. The ruling led to mixed reactions in the nation, as the South was appalled by the decision and attempted to stop the decision from being carried out.
In the years following the decision, the Supreme Court struck down segregation of transportation, public buildings, housing, recreational facilities, and restaurants (“Meaning of Brown”). The Civil Rights Movement was heavily tied in with desegregation and historian Richard Kluger stated in Simple Justice: The History of Brown v. Board of Education and Black America’s that “This is not to say that Brown began the movement—its heritage in the black community was largely separate from the doings of the Supreme Court. But the decision left an indelible mark on the direction and shape of the movement, especially in its early stages” the Brown movement further propelled civil rights movements and boycotts concerning segregation but it did not directly address issues that began to arise because of civil disobedient acts. The new precedent that Brown had set allowed African Americans to begin to take a stance against now overturned Jim Crow laws and social standards.
Between the years 1954 and 1968, an extremely influential era occurred, known as the African American Civil Rights Movement. During this time, African Americans fought for the equal rights and freedoms they deserved. The widely recognized, Brown v. Board of Education case, which transpired in Topeka, Kansas in 1954, addressed the segregation issues between whites and African Americans in public schools. Similarly, the New Rochelle Board of Education was challenged with a court-ordered case involving the desegregation of the Lincoln School in 1962. The case, Taylor v. Board of Education of City School District of City of New Rochelle, evolved when eleven children sued the district for gerrymandering the elementary schools.
Brown vs. Board of Education was the case that changed the experience of school for all children, African American and White. To begin with, this case started when seven
Brown vs Board of Education was important because it was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. The first plaintiff was Oliver Brown, an African-American welder and assistant pastor. The case was brought against the Topeka Board of Education for not allowing his nine year old daughter, Linda, to attend Summer Elementary School, and all white school near their home. In 1954, there were four African-American schools and 18 white schools in Topeka.
Brown brought the suit against the Board of Education with the help of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). (The Leadership
Brown v. Board of Education During the 1950’s, aspects of slavery and discrimination were still prevalent in the United States, even after the 13th amendment was passed in 1865, which abolished slavery. African Americans were separated from the whites and forced into worse facilities under the justification of “separate, but equal.” This is the time period and world that Linda Brown, an eight year old African American girl, had to endure. The United States had old policies and old rules that were still in place and it was only a matter of time until someone took a stand.
With taking it to higher authority it made its way to court. Brown believed something wasn’t right, so when taking it to court he [Oliver Brown] found that laws were being broken. The Topeka school had been breaking the 14th Amendment or the so-called equal protection clause either with or without the own knowledge of knowing. “Brown claimed that schools for black children were not equal to whites schools, and the segregation violated the so-called equal protection clause of the 14th
The schools in Kansas, South Carolina, Delaware, Virginia, and the district of Columbia all believed in the phrase of “separate but equal”. Oliver Brown wanted segregation to end in all of the United States. “Thurgood Marshall was stating that the segregation in the public schools was violating the “equal protection clause” in the fourteenth amendment” (History of Brown vs. Board of Education, 2010). Many people were following this movement because many colored people were not being treated equally. Colored children were being put on the side of the classroom which had old terrible desks and they also had separate water
Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954) In 1951, Oliver Brown wanted to enroll his daughter, Linda Brown in an all white elementary school. Mr. Brown’s daughter was denied enrollment because she was African American. Outraged by the discrimination, Mr. Brown turned to civil action and he filed a class-action lawsuit against the board of education. A three-judge panel viewed the case and ruled in favor of the board of education.
Board of Education decision introduced people like Thurgood Marshall and Ruby Bridges. According to www.uscourts.gov, “Thurgood Marshall strived to protect the rights of all citizens.” Thurgood Marshall wanted black and white kids to have the same rights so he worked hard to make that happen. From, www.loc.gov, “On November 14, Bridges integrated the William Frantz Public School” Ruby Bridges desegregated William Frantz Public School so black and white kids could attend the same school and get a equal education as each other. “Thurgood Marshall, devised a strategy to attack Jim Crow laws by striking at them where they were perhaps weakest—in the field of education.”, as stated by, www.uscourts.gov.
Brown v. Board of Education - 1954 In 1951, Oliver Brown filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education of Topeka. This was the start of the Brown v. Board of education case. His daughter, Linda Brown, had been denied the right to go to school at an all-white school in the district. He believed that this denial went against the fourteenth amendment and its equal protection.
The decision behind Brown versus Board of Education is bigger than a “won case “but a case that helped Americans realize interaction, companionship, and learning in a school setting among different races is detrimental and effective. The theory behind the concept was for Americans to change bias thought processes of race and notice success and academic goals is not associated with skin color. For generations to come, it is our responsibility now to reverse racial desegregation not only in schools but everywhere. Brown versus Board of Education was the stepping stone for many to take action. We must continue to