Brown V Board Of Education Essay

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Research Question: To what extent did the cases Brown v. Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia that took place in 1954 and 1967, respectively, aide the Civil Rights Movement? Prior to the Brown v. Board of Education case, segregation was a huge problem. Few historians would disagree with this. Segregation, especially, in education was a hindrance towards learning for African American students. In 1950, 3.1 percent of African Americans graduated from high school due to segregated schools. However, this changed drastically after a few years had passed after the outcome of this case. More than 50 percent of African Americans graduated from high school in 1980. The fact that this statistic rose nearly 47% through the time period of 30 years …show more content…

Board of Education case took its roots from the Plessy v. Ferguson case in 1896. In this case, the defendant Plessy, refused to leave the whites only section of a railway car when he was only in reality he was ⅞ Caucasian. The result of this was a ruling of “separate but equal”, where people of different race would still not sit together but be treated the same. However, this ruling was overturned in the Brown v. Board of Education case. This case stated that segregating children by race in public schools was “inherently unequal.” In other words, this case was a catalyst for the modern civil rights movement. It inspired education reform everywhere. Also, it formed the legal means of challenging segregation in all areas of society. From the year of 1896 to after 1964, immense progress was made. An entire ruling was overturned. Black people weren’t segregated in education any longer, a huge obstacle. This shows just how much impact one court case can have on the lives of the general public, whether that be good or bad. A year and a half after the Brown case was decided, the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott took place. This shows the importance of the Brown v. Board case. It inspires people to move forward and stand up for their rights. Along with the Montgomery Bus Boycott came efforts to integrate a high school in Arkansas. Both of these events were