POLS210
American Government I
Fall 13
Week 8
Final Exam I
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Brown versus the board of education was landmark cases that changed the integration of schools forever. This particular case overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896. There were many factors that were brought to this case. The issue of the definition of the Fourteenth amendment and its intended effect on public education; the issue of a state providing public education and that it should extend to and be made available to “all”; the segregation of children in school based solely on race; (nationalcenter.org) The "separate but equal" doctrine adopted in Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537, has no place in the field of public education. The case was formed by Mr. Oliver L. Brown, father of Linda, a third grader, had to walk six blocks to school to attend Monroe Elementary, her segregated black school, while Sumner Elementary, a white school, was seven blocks from her house. Mr. Brown along with thirteen Topeka parents and their 20 children filed the lawsuit. In 1952 the courts ruled in favor of the school board and upheld the segregation rule. This case was eventually brought before the Supreme Court in 1954. In this appeal the Justices overturned the decision by the lower courts saying that segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race is detrimental to children especially if upheld by the law. In the field of public education, the doctrine of "separate but equal" has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. They stated that this action was not was the 14th amendment was about and that this was an injustice. This was an extremely important and a landmark case. It was made at a time when racism and segregation were at its highest points, and that with this decision, was the start of desegregation, not only in schools but also all around the United States. Even though there were still many obstacles’ yet to cross, this was the beginning of the greatest movement for the civil rights at any point in American history. Although this was a landmark case and a victory for the civil rights movement, many people did not accept the court’s decision. Texas Attorney General John Ben
