African American Education System In The 1930's

The Education System in the 1930’s What is equality? Equality is the state of being equal or the same as; specifically in justice, opportunity, and/or social position. Think about education in the early 20th century, can we say that equality existed? In the 1930’s, education differed greatly from today’s education system in terms of segregated schools, the Brown v. Board of Education case, and women’s rights. Segregated schools between African Americans and whites affected the education system as a whole. In the South, African American students saw, interacted, and experienced only with African Americans. Common in the South, segregation in schools prevented Africans Americans from socializing with white children. The residential segregation,

Board of Education was a case that fought for equality in schools. Oliver Brown’s daughter, Linda Brown, is a perfect example of the difference of treatment between whites and blacks in the school system. Already arriving two hours late, she would still have to go through obstacles, especially dangerous for children, just to take the bus to the “colored” school. White children only had a few blocks to walk to get to their bus that would arrive on time to their school. Racial segregation existed in the education system long before the Brown v. Board of Education case came about in 1954. It was considered inferior to be African American, and the Jim Crow Laws in place that supported white superiority did not make it any easier for these children. Joining a group for the fight for equality of education, Oliver Brown filed a case to attempt to finally get what they wanted-equality (Tackach). Children’s education, like Linda Brown’s, suffered due to the color of her skin-unfairness was present throughout the school system. A great deal of persuasion and argument was used until the Supreme Court decided to desegregate schools. During the deliberation, many people contributed to the defense of African Americans and their equality. One particular person, Thurgood Marshall, worked hard for the desegregation in schools, arguing “[that] the very purpose of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments was...to destroy the inferior status of the Negro and place him upon a plane of complete equality with the white man” (Tackach 67). With an abundance of support behind equality in schools, they were finally heard and America was changed for it. The integrated school education system transformed the way people now had to live, but it was for the better taking into account how our society lives