May 17 - Court Concludes Brown v. Board of Education Case

This Day in History: 17 May 2020

 

17 May 1954

 

66 years ago, today, the US Supreme Court came to a unanimous decision in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case. They ruled that segregation in public education was unconstitutional, bringing an end to the tolerance of racial segregation. This case specifically dealt with a young, African American girl named Linda Brown, who had been denied admission to her local school in Topeka, Kansas, due to the colour of her skin. This white school was far superior to her black alternative, and a lot closer to home. The NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, took up Linda's case, bringing it to the Supreme Court in 1954. Thurgood Marshall, an African American lawyer, led Brown's legal team, and would later become a Supreme Court justice.

 

Chief Justice Earl Warren gave his opinion that not only was the 14^th Amendment's guarantee of 'separate but equal' protection unconstitutional for Linda, but it was also deemed unconstitutional in all cases. This was concluded as educational segregation meant that a label of inferiority was placed on African American students. After hearing arguments on the implementation of the ruling, the Supreme Court published new guidelines that required public schools to integrate quickly. The case of Brown v. Board of Education greatly motivated the civil rights movement that occurred in the 1950s and 1960s. It also significantly led to the abolishment of racial segregation in the American public.

 

Want to find out more about the Brown v. Board of Education court case and history? Click here for more information, or here for a timeline on the civil rights movement.