- Psychological studies showed that segregation had negative effects on black children. Segregating white & black students creates inferiority between them both, making the black children feeling unequal. The U.S. District Court found that segregation did have negative effects on black children.
- The "separate but equal" doctrine adopted in Plessy v. Ferguson, had no place in the field of public education.
Board Of Education's Arguments/Points
Brown V. Board of Education & Plessy V. Ferguson
Official Docs.
The Verdict
- On May 17, 1954, the Court unanimously ruled that "separate but equal" public schools for blacks and whites were unconstitutional, therefore reversing the law made by the Plessy V. Ferguson case. The Brown case revolutionized the public school system in the 1950's and for many years to come.
Background Info.
- Thurgood Marshall argued that housing and schooling had become interdependent. They stated segregation had a dramatic effect on neighborhoods, this would place a heavy burden on local government to deal with the changes.
- For much of the nearly six decades preceding the Brown case, race relations in the U.S. had been dominated by racial segregation. This policy was supported in 1896 by the Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson, which held that as long as the separate facilities for the separate races were equal, segregation did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment. Thus, allowing racial segregation in public schools.
Brown V. Board Of Education
1) What was the Decision Votes for Plessy V ferguson
For how many years did racial segregation dominate the U.S before the Brown Case?
A) 60 B) 100 C)150 D) 200
- Furthermore, the board said no psychological studies have been done on children in the Topeka, Kansas school district. This means there was no indication of personal harm to the appellants strictly in this district.
2) What Amendment's did Plessy feel were violated?
What was Brown's key evidence in the case?
I.13th amendment
II.14th amendment
III.1st amendment
IV. 4th amendment
A) I
B) I and II
C) I and IV
D) III and I
A) Psychological studies on black children
B) Teacher abuse
C) Unequal learning
D) All of the above
3)All of these were talked about in the case
EXCEPT
A)Separate but equal
B)Amendments
C)Separate Car Act
D)Declaration of indepence
Name the lead board member arguing for racial segregation.
A)Thurgood Marshall
B) Robert Carter
C) George E. Hayes
D) John Davis
by Omer Saleem & Justin Liang
Brown's Main
Arguments/Points
Background Information
Work Cited
Our Documents, Retrieved from: http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=87&page=transcript
Louisiana enacted a law called Separate Car Act in which it required separate railway cars for blacks and whites. Homer Plessy, 7/8 white but is considered black took a seat in the "white only" car and was arrested for refusing to move to the car reserved for blacks.
Archives, Retrieved from: http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/brown-case-order/
Cottrol, Robert J., Raymond T. Diamond, Leland B. Ware. Brown v. Board of Education: Caste,Culture, and the Constitution. Lawrence, KS.: University Press of Kansas, 2003.
Arguments / Points
History Plessy V Ferguson : http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/plessy-v-ferguson
Plessy's argument was that even thought he is 1/8 black and 7/8
white he was considered black, because of the separate car act he was arrested for sitting in the "white" car, he believed because of this it violated his 14th amendment
However by a 7-1 vote, the court ruled that a state law that "implies merely a legal distinction" between two races did not conflict with the 13th amendment.
The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow : http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_plessy.html
Discussion/Essay Questions
Plessy V Ferguson
1) Based on the separate car act, explain how does this violate or not violate the 14th amendment.
The Verdict
2)Explain Plessy's case in which he was unable to sit in the "white" car even though he is both white and black.
- By a 7-1 vote the court said that a state law that "implies merely a legal distinction" this decision set the precedent that "separate" facilities for blacks and whites were constitutional as long as they were "equal." The "separate but equal" doctrine was quickly extended to cover many areas of public life, such as restaurants, theaters, restrooms, and public schools. Therefore it did not conflict with the 13th amendment.
Brown V Board of Edu.
1) Classify the Board of Educations argument for racial segregation and provide evidence for why there opinion/concern might be valid.
2) Compare/Contrast the Plessy V Ferguson & Brown V Board of Edu. cases and it's effect on racial segregation in the U.S. Include a counter argument in at least one paragraph.