Brown vs. Board of Education

1954

Racial segregation in United States was due to Plessy vs. Ferguson

Plessy vs. Ferguson stated that the doctrine, separate but equal, did not violate the United States Constitution

Therefore, black and white children were forced to attend separate schools in various states

Prior To Brown vs. Board of Education

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Educational_separation_in_the_US_prior_to_Brown_Map.svg

Black and white schools weren’t equal

Black schools had used textbooks, overcrowded classrooms, no gymnasiums, and not enough school supplies

The highest paid black teacher was paid less than the lowest paid white teacher

The school year for the white schools were usually two months longer than black schools

Difference Between Black and White Schools

Black Overcrowd

ed

Elementary School

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?q=In+Schools+source:life&imgurl=aaf4ab1b5a5ea1e1

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=04526e0ded897f6d&q=white+elementary+schools+source:life&usg=__OBhgHNKaY9YW9phvgRevZDs3UI=&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwhite%2Belementary%2Bschools%2Bsource:life%26hl%3Den

Non-Crowded White Classroom

No Gymnasium for Black Students

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?q=pictures+of+white+elementary+schools+in+the+1940s&imgurl=10d20654ab3c3546

Gymnasium at an all White School

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?q=pictures+of+white+elementary+schools+in+the+1940s&imgurl=635c57907650ad47

- Born in 1943, in Topeka, Kansas

- In third grade, she attended Monroe Elementary, an all

black school

- This school was 6 miles away from her house- Only 7 blocks from her house, was Sumner Elementary, an all white school

Linda Brown

http://www.congressionalgoldmedal.com/images/LindaBrown.jpg

Oliver Brown asked the principle of the white school to admit his daughter, Linda was denied admission

Oliver Brown went to the NAACP, which hired lawyers for Brown’s case

The case was first held in the District Court

Court referred to the case, Plessy vs. Ferguson, and said that the separate black and white schools were equal, so Brown lost the case

District Court

Brown and the NAACP appealed to the Supreme Court in 1951

Case was heard on December 9, 1952

The lawyers for the Board of Education argued that there was no problem with separate schools

The lawyers for Brown argued that there was no proof that black and white children were different from one another, so separate schools weren’t needed

The case ended on May 17, 1954, in favor of Brown

The vote was 9 to 0

Supreme Court

The case gave a psychological boost to the black struggle

Some schools desegregated peacefully and others did not

The case did not provide a precise time frame for instituting desegregated school systems

Many black teachers lost their jobs

Change was slow until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Effect of Brown Vs. Board of Education

- Linda and her sister, Cheryl, share their Civil Rights experiences at colleges

- They founded the Brown Foundation for Educational Equality, Excellence, and Research

- The foundation provides scholarships to minority students and encourages the understanding of different cultures

Linda Brown Today

http://www.purdue.edu/brown/pages/photos/image3.jpg

Oliver Brown died in 1961

Oliver Brown, and the 12 other parents, changed history

Oliver Brown will live as a legacy for his struggle with the Civil Rights Movement and his attempt to integrate schools

Conclusion