Brown V Board Of Education Summary

Brown v. Board of Education was a key landmark Supreme Court case that would affect the US after its decision. Before the decision is discussed, the background for the case must be explained. “In the 1950’s, Linda Brown was a young African American girl in Kansas who had to walk through a railroad switchyard to get to school. There was a school much closer to her house, but she could not go there because it was an all white school. (Background Summary)” This was a very effective motivator for Mr. Brown, as he felt that his child was being discriminated against and put in danger because she was forced to go to a specific school. Furthermore, there were several plaintiffs that were under the Brown v. Board of Education case. “This case was the

Board of Education changed how the US would deal with segregation, and how the different races would treat each other. The Brown v. Board of Education majority opinion was crafted as a redress of grievances, for all the years that African Americans and whites people were needlessly segregated, and for how they treated black people during those years. “The justices argued the point that separating children for the education process and onward, creates and perpetuates the idea that black children are of a lesser class than the white kids.

(Summary of decision)” This was one of the reasons that the justices all agreed that segregation in general, schools specifically, needs to be rid of to further the advancement of their society. Meaning they felt schools needed to be desegregated. The Supreme Court found that segregation of schools is not supported by the fourteenth amendment. “We have now announced that such segregation is a denial of the equal protection of the laws. (B v. Board of Education)” This quote, while small, put an end to a near century long argument, of if segregation should be allowed. The answer, of course was a resounding no. Now that the background of both court cases have been revealed, they must now be compared to each

One blatant and obvious thing that both had in common, was dealing with segregation. Another thing they had in common is in both at least on justice saw what segregation was doing to the people. “The white race deems itself to be the dominant race of the country. In education, wealth, and power. So I doubt not that this will continue for a sizable amount of time, if it stays true to its roots in the minds of white people.(Key Excerpts)” This is Justice Harlan saying that because white people asserted themselves as dominant, and would no doubt continue to force their dominance upon the other races. Which, would in turn mean that this racial segregation would be effecting the black people and making them feel less than human. This feelings were echoed by all the justices present for Brown v. Board of Education. “The justices felt that even if the facilities were physically equal, separating children based solely on race, would create a feeling of inferiority and would perpetuate the ideals of white people back before slave were freed. (Summary of decision)” Here it is plain to see, the justices believed that the fact that the races were separate, they will have either delusions of grandeur, or an inferiority complex. The cases are quite different in many aspects, the most obvious is one put an end to segregation, while the other put the government's seal of approval on it. “The justices concluded that the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no room in the place of