Brown V Board Of Education Essay

One of the most historic cases in the United States of America, Brown v. Board of Education, occurred in 1954 in the city of Topeka, Kansas. Back in the day, public schools were separated by race, black and white. Two young girls, Linda Brown and her sister, attended an all-black school which was not so close to their home. While there was another school closer to their house, it was only for white students. In order to get to the bus stop to go to school, both girls had to walk thru a dangerous path which included a railway yard. Because the Brown family thought that the school system in Topeka was in violation with the 14th Amendment, they decided to take this case to court. Thirteen other parents joined this case, but Oliver Brown, father

This is because both schools were very similar with buildings, transportation, education, etc. (Landmark). After this, the family decided to appeal this case to the Supreme Court because they felt that even though there were not many differences between both schools, they would never be equal. An argument included that the denial of black students into white schools made them feel inferior to white children (Geer 157). After listening to their arguments, the Supreme Court unanimously decided in a 9-0 vote count that the state laws which require separate but equal facilities were indeed violating the citizens’ rights. Specifically, the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment was where the infraction was found (Landmark). The court used several test performed by two psychologists in order to prove that segregation had a negative effect in black children (Bill of Rights Institute). The landmark case Brown v. Board of Education was a very influential case because it prohibited the segregation of public schools in the United States (Geer