Heimler's History: Brown v. Board of Education

Introduction

Brown v. Board of Education is a consolidation of several cases
Concerned racial segregation in schools
Originated from Jim Crow laws in the South, leading to separate schools for white and black children
Justified by Supreme Court's 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision ("separate but equal" doctrine)
A black family attempted to enroll their daughter in a nearby white school but was denied, necessitating longer travel to a black school
Lower courts upheld Plessy precedent
Case escalated to the Supreme Court

At issue: Violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment
Thurgood Marshall, lawyer for Brown:
- Argued that even if facilities were equal, separation was damaging
- Cited social science research indicating psychological harm and instillation of inferiority in black children

Supreme Court's rare overturning of existing precedent
Unanimous decision: Separate facilities violate the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause
Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson precedent
Chief Justice Earl Warren stated separation creates a feeling of inferiority affecting black children's hearts and minds
Declared separate educational facilities inherently unequal

Major judicial victory for the civil rights movement, increasing momentum in the 1950s
Sought legislative and judicial acknowledgment of equality between black and white Americans
Resistance from Southern states, where school segregation was customary
Vague Supreme Court wording allowed for resistance: "all deliberate speed"
Southern states interpreted this as a means to delay integration
Despite being a victory on paper, school integration took time