Three Supreme Court Cases In The Civil Rights Movement

“This Civil Rights Act is a challenge to all of us to go to work in our communities and our states, in our homes and in our hearts, to eliminate the last vestiges of injustice in our beloved country.” —Lyndon B. Johnson. Peoples judgement are clouded by ignorance and others by family accusations. People back in the 1800-1900 's were very ignorant when it came to the thought of equality among people of a different race. The three Supreme Court cases influential to the civil rights movement to make all men created equal, no matter the color of their skin: Dred Scott vs. Sanford, Plessy vs. Ferguson, and Brown vs. The Board of Education

First, one of the earlier cases about racism was Dred Scott vs. Sandford and how strong people felt about free black people. In 1846 a free black man and woman named Dred and Harriet Scott. They moved to

Ferguson. "Separate but equal accommodations for colored races"(Plessy vs. Ferguson). Even though the court ordered separate but equal accommodations, they were far from equal. In 1896 the court made a law that required some establishments to serve African American such as hotels, restaurants, and even hospitals. In the court case Homer Plessy sat in the white compartment and was challenged by the conductor. So later he was arrested. In the court room he said that separate but equal was unconstitutional, but was overruled by judge John H. Ferguson. The court later ruled in favor of judge Ferguson.

Finally, a case that had a big impact on the civil rights movement was Brown vs. Board of Education. In the Brown s. Board of Education a little girl had to walk five miles to the closest African American school. Even though there was a white school that was closer. The discussion in the court case was that " The separation of children in public schools was unconstitutional"(Brown vs. Board of Education). The verdict was in favor of the brown