Sunday, April 24, 2011

Brown v. Board of Education Topeka, Kansas (1954)

The Brown case helped decide multiple cases that focused around the subject of African-American children not being able to attend segregated, white schools. The case of Sweatt v. Painter (1950) was different from Brown because it involved a singular Texas Law School, that had no alternatives for blacks. Each previous attempt was to overthrow the Plessy v. Ferguson  ruling of "separate, but equal". In a unanimous decision, the court ruled that the plaintiffs are deprived of their rights, given by the Fourteenth Amendment and that segregation in education is unconstitutional. This decision I completely agree with and there is no reason why Plessy's ruling should carry forward in society. Viewing the facts, Brown is a prime example of the Constitution's ability to adapt.



PBS does a great job of highlighting the key characters and the importance of societal viewpoints in the 1950's.

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