ipl-logo

Plessy Vs. Ferguson Case: Brown V. Board Of Education

637 Words3 Pages

The Plessy vs Ferguson doctrine implies it is, “merely a legal distinction without conflicting with the 13th Amendment”. The Plessy vs Ferguson was a U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation. In 1896, the Supreme Court ruled in the Plessy vs Ferguson doctrine that racially segregated public facilities were only legal if blacks and whites were both equally welcome. In 1951, a plaintiff named Oliver Brown filed a class-action suit against the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, after his daughter, Linda Brown, was denied entrance to Topeka’s all-white elementary schools”. Even after the Jim Crow Laws, some all-white schools still did not allow blacks to join. Jim Crow Laws legalized race segregation. …show more content…

Board of Education was one of the cornerstones of the civil rights movement, and helped to establish that “separate but equal” education and other services were not equal at all. In 1896, the Supreme Court had ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that racially segregated public facilities were legal as so long as the facilities for blacks and whites were equal”. However, Oliver Brown, in his lawsuit, claimed that schools for black children were not equal to the white schools, and that segregation violated the so called “equal protection clause” of the 14th Amendment, which holds that no state can “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” The case went before the U.S. District Court in Kansas, which agreed that public school segregation had a “harmful effect upon the colored children” and contributed to “a sense of inability,” but still upheld the “separate but equal” doctrine. In its verdict, the Supreme Court did not specify how exactly schools should be integrated, but asked for further arguments about …show more content…

Board didn’t achieve school desegregation on its own, the ruling fueled the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. By overturning the “separate but equal” doctrine, the Court’s decision had set the legal precedent that would be used to overturn laws enforcing segregation in other public places. Despite its undoubted impact, the historic verdict fell short of achieving its primary mission of integrating the nation’s public schools. After all of these acts and peaceful protests, segregation slowly disappeared. Even though laws were made and the government tried to make things “equal”, there was still people that despised the opposite race. In 1955, a year after the Brown v. Board of Education decision, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus giving us the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Her arrest would later lead to other boycotts and sit-ins. About 60 years after Brown v. Board of Education, the debate continues over racial inequalities in the nation’s school system, largely based differences in resources between schools in wealthier and economically districts across the

Show More
Related
871 Words | 4 Pages

Some of his and Justice John Harlan's arguments, laid the groundwork for future actions against an oppressive government. Oliver Brown used many of the same arguments as Homer Plessy, such as stating that separate but equal doctrine was unconstitutional because it violated the plaintiffs 13th and 14th amendment rights. While these arguments were before unsuccessful in Plessy v. Ferguson, they were later successfully backed up by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education, overruling the earlier set precedent. After the separate but equal precedent was over ruled, separate but equal school facilities were forced to be integrated. Long before this groundbreaking ruling, Justice John Harlan thought that the U.S. constitution should be “color-blind”, and his dreams were one step closer, though he was not there to see it.

Read More
1286 Words | 6 Pages

Ferguson case was passed in 1896. “This decision approved segregation of the races as being consistent with the 14th amendment and formulated the doctrine of "separate but equal" facilities. It served as a legal basis for segregation in education. The case arose when one Homer A. Plessy, who was 7/8ths caucasian and 1/8th negro, was arrested for entering a railroad coach reserved for whites and refusing to sit in a segregated couch for negroes. The court, speaking through Justice Henry B Brown, found that these "separate but equal accommodations" satisfied the demands of the Fourteenth Amendment.”

Read More
716 Words | 3 Pages

The “Plessy V. Ferguson” case is a very important case in U.S. history and U.S. civil rights, as it legalized segregation for decades. Homer Plessy appeared to a white man living a Louisiana, but he was ⅛ black, which was considered black in Louisiana. When Plessy tried to board a “whites only” railroad car in protest of Louisiana's “Separate Car Act” that legally separated train cars, he was arrested when he refused to move to colored car on the train. Once the case went through both district and state courts, it moved up to the U.S. Supreme Court where Plessy and his attorney argued that the law ostracized the colored people from the white, which would be unconstitutional. This was known as the “Plessy V. Ferguson” case.

Read More
1231 Words | 5 Pages

Board of Education of Topeka. The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of a group of black parents in Topeka, Kansas on behalf of their children forced to attend all-black segregated schools. Through Brown v. Board, one of the most important cases of the 20th century, Marshall challenged head-on the legal underpinning of racial segregation, the doctrine of "separate but equal" established by the 1896 Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson.” May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that "separate inculcative facilities are inherently unequal," and ergo racial segregation of public schools infringed the equal bulwark clause of the 14th Amendment. While enforcement of the Court's ruling proved to be uneven and painfully slow, Brown v. Board provided the licit substructure, and much of the inspiration, for the American Civil Rights Movement that unfolded over the next decade.

Read More
722 Words | 3 Pages

Board of education is actually five cases that were combined into one because they all had the same point. Each of these cases all had to do with the segregation of schools in some way. The five cases were Boiling v. Sharpe, Gebhart v. Ethel, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Briggs v. Elliot, and Davis v. Board of Education of Prince Edward County. These cases all argued that the separate schools for blacks and whites were not at all equal. When this case went before the Supreme Court it was argued that within the schools black children were feeling like they were lesser than white children which should be unconstitutional.

Read More
1266 Words | 6 Pages

Although Plessy had the appearance of white man, he was required by law to sit in the blacks-only carriage. However, Plessy refused to move to a blacks-only carriage and argued that this segregation law stigmatized blacks "with a badge of inferiority” and that it violated his rights under the Fourteenth Amendment (McBride). The Fourteenth Amendment forbids the state from denying “…any person within their jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” (McBride) However, the Supreme Court argued in this case that the Fourteenth Amendment meant equality in political and civil rights and not social rights (McBride).

Read More
1136 Words | 5 Pages

In the end the Supreme Court ruled that “Separate but Equal” had no place in public education (Brown V Board of Education). The court’s unanimous ruling proved that the decision made in Plessy V Ferguson which dictated “Separate but Equal” was both morally and constitutionally wrong, for the justices found that segregation between the white and colored races indicated the inferiority of the African American race (Brown V Board of

Read More
931 Words | 4 Pages

African Americans were then, by law allowed to attend any public school, but many southerners became angry because of this decision and fought for segregation with even stronger

Read More
483 Words | 2 Pages

Title: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Thesis: The Oliver Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case not only allowed integration in schools but it influenced the constitution towards equal protection and catalyzed future desegregation. I. Introduction: a. Description: Oliver Brown argued that although schooling was provided, it wasn’t equal because it was violating the 14th amendment to the United States Constitution. b. Thesis: The Oliver Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case not only allowed integration in schools but it influenced the constitution towards equal protection and catalyzed future desegregation. II.

Read More
866 Words | 4 Pages

In the history of the United States, few Supreme Court cases have had such a profound impact on society as Brown v. Board of Education. This landmark case, decided in 1954, struck down the doctrine of “separate but equal” in public education, paving the way for desegregation and marking a significant victory in the fight for civil rights. To fully understand the implications and significance of the Brown case, it is essential to delve into the historical context, legal arguments, and aftermath of this pivotal decision. Historical Context To appreciate the importance of Brown v. Board of Education, one must first understand the prevailing racial attitudes and policies in the United States leading up to the case.

Read More
643 Words | 3 Pages

“To separate them from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone. " Why was Brown vs. Board of Education such an significant and milestone decision? The Brown vs. Board of Education desegregated schools which gave african american kids an equal education as white kids, it helped segregation among white and black, and introduced people like Thurgood Marshall and Ruby Bridges. First, It gave African American kids the opportunity to get an equal education as the white kids.

Read More
479 Words | 2 Pages

Board of Education happened. This was impactful because it changed things for blacks and made things more equal. “Brown v. Board of Education (1954), now acknowledged as one of the greatest Supreme Court decisions of the 20th century, unanimously held that the racial segregation of children in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment,” (pbs.org). This case was the push end segregation in education. Linda Brown wanted to go to the white school because it was better than her school, but the law then said she couldn’t.

Read More
736 Words | 3 Pages

Brown v. Board of Education was a crucial cornerstone of the civil rights movement and is regarded as one of the most important Supreme Court decisions. This lawsuit drew attention to the racial disparities that African Americans experienced and called into question the "separate but equal" ideology that was implemented in educational facilities. The Supreme Court justices unanimously held in this landmark case that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Segragation went against the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which maintains that no state can "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws". Brown's judgment did not result in instant integration; instead, during the

Read More
582 Words | 3 Pages

The Board of Education was another important step in ensuring equality for African Americans. The main precedent of the case was, is “separate but equal” constitutional? The saying “Separate but equal” was established by the case Plessy v. Ferguson which allowed segregation between black and white people in schools. Linda Brown, who was at the center of the school's segregation battles says, “To me, the impact of Brown is best seen in the increasing numbers of black professionals today. These are the people that, after 1954, were able to have some degree of choice.”

Read More
1189 Words | 5 Pages

The decision behind Brown versus Board of Education is bigger than a “won case “but a case that helped Americans realize interaction, companionship, and learning in a school setting among different races is detrimental and effective. The theory behind the concept was for Americans to change bias thought processes of race and notice success and academic goals is not associated with skin color. For generations to come, it is our responsibility now to reverse racial desegregation not only in schools but everywhere. Brown versus Board of Education was the stepping stone for many to take action. We must continue to

Read More

More about Plessy Vs. Ferguson Case: Brown V. Board Of Education

Open Document