Brown+VS.+Board+of+Education

Mara Peoples  April 4, 2010  History 8-4

 **SETTING THE STAGE** - **[|Participate in The Road to Justice activity] Were you successful? What did your learn in the activity (just think about it ....) **

I was successful in this activity and I learned to first never give up or go backwards when fighting for something and also to try different strategies when arguing against a large network of people. i also learned that in order to accomplish more you need more and to have supporters although not everyone may not support you efforts for various reasons, find as many people to help as possible and put them to good use. These components will help to accomplish not only great but difficult things.

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

//Brown vs. Board of Education:// Slavery was never legally established in Kansas, and racial separation there was less rigid than in the Deep South. School segregation was permitted by local option, but only in elementary schools. In 1950 the state capital, Topeka, operated four elementary schools for black children. Occurred in Topeka, Kansas. Segregated elementary schools, and the harmful psychological effects of segregation on African American children. Oliver Brown and 13 other parents from Topeka wanted to fight against this segregation. A three-judge federal court ruled against Brown and then the plaintiffs’ appeal reached the U.S. Supreme Court

** *THE MAIN ARGUMENTS OF THE PLAINTIFF (for integration) (check [|Link 1] )**  List the major arguments of the plaintiffs

<span style="color: #1d1c14; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> Lawyers for the plaintiffs major arguments were read as such, In //Plessy v. Ferguson,// the Supreme Court had misinterpreted the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Equal protection of the laws did not allow for racial segregation. The Fourteenth Amendment allowed the government to prohibit any discriminatory state action based on race, including segregation in public schools. The Fourteenth Amendment did not specify whether the states would be allowed to establish segregated education. Psychological testing demonstrated the harmful effects of segregation on the minds of African American children.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">** *THE MAIN ARGUMENTS OF THE DEFENDANTS (for segregation) (check <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|Link 1] )** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> List the major arguments of the Defendants

<span style="color: #1d1c14; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> For the defenders of segregation they had the main arguments of, 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; the states should be left free to regulate their own social affairs. Segregation was not harmful to black people. Whites were making a good faith effort to equalize the two educational systems. But because black children were still living with the effects of slavery, it would take some time before they were able to compete with white children in the same classroom.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> ** THE CHANGE IN THE COURT (leading to a decision) (check** <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|**Link 1**] **)** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> What important change happened in the Supreme Court, and what was its impact?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Supreme Court had decided to listen to the case brought upon them, going into the case they knew they would have a difficult decision. Many had doubted the constitutional authority of the Court in order for them to end the segregation that lingered in the school system. However; they knew that integrating the school system may be unenforceable. In September 1953 Vinson died, and President Dwight Eisenhower appointed Earl Warren the new chief justice. His leadership produced an unanimous decision to overturn the //Plessy case and// changed the course of American history.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> ** THE COURT DECISION (in your own words) (check** <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|**Link 1**] **and Link 2)** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> What did the Supreme Court decide in the landmark decision?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The decision was written out by Earl Warren. He had agreed with the Civil Right's attorneys in their statement about the clarification of the segregated schools in the 14th amendment. He also stated that the problem was in the present and not the past. The education process was one of the few but most important state and local government controls, and that segregation of African American's prevented them to recieve this under the protection of the 14th amendment. The judge had deemed segregated educations unequal and therefore unconstitutional.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> **ENFORCING THE DECISION (discuss "with all deliberate speed) (Check <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|Link 1] ** **)**  <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">What was the Court's statement about the enforcement of the decision? What happened to the enforcement?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The vagueness of how this new ruling would be enforced allowed opposed whites opportunity to create a resistance. Many had been welcoming to this decision a large number considered it an assault on their way of life. People who opposed went off of fear and prejudice and began to launched a military campaign.

<span style="color: #1d1c14; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> **THE IMPACT and LEGACY** **(Check** <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|**Link 1**] **)** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">What is the overall importance and legacy of //Brown v. Board//?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the 1950's many African Americans pushed for the issue that did not give them racial equality. They pushed for the Brown decisionto be enforced. Many weren't prepared for the intensity of the racial violence but the African American struggle quickly spread amongst the nation. This was the start to social justice and now 50 years later, race, gender, youth, or differences have been put aside for all to have equal opportunity.