Dbq Brown Vs Board Of Education

The Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education paved the way for a new level of opportunity for others that followed by making segregation in schools illegal, providing better conditions in the classroom, and providing African American students with more opportunities for the future. In the summer of 1950, 13 African Americans parents tried to enroll their children in an all-white school for the upcoming year. They were of course denied, being that at the time schools were segregated. One particular child really stood out in this case, his name was Linda Brown. Brown had to travel a large distance to attend Monroe Elementary--one of the four black elementaries in the town. On February 28, 1951, angry parents filed a lawsuit against the Topeka Board of Education. Brown and his parents were listed first in the lawsuit, which was why it is named after him. The parents were ruled against, but were told that segregation did have a bad influence on African-American children. Finally, on October 1, 1951 the parents and the NAACP

Before the Brown case, African-American classrooms were run-down and had inadequate materials. They were forced into small, hot, overcrowded classrooms with old books and desks. Sometimes African-American students were forced to have class in small outdoor huts with no air conditioning during the summer nor heat during the winter. Document F illustrates an all-white fourth grade classroom from Topeka, Kansas in 1950. All the students have a smile upon their face, while they are sitting in nice desks with new, clean books and other materials. The classroom is welcoming and peaceful looking. On the other hand, Document G illustrates an African-American fourth grade class from Potwin School in Topeka, Kansas in 1950. The students are crowded in a cellar looking room, with no desks or books. The room is trashy and the students look