6.1 Brown v. Board of Education and school desegregation

The Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954 was a game-changer. It overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine, declaring segregated schools unconstitutional. This landmark decision sparked the Civil Rights Movement and set the stage for desegregation across the US.

But change didn't come easy. Many Southern states and school districts fought back hard. They used tactics like "massive resistance" and "freedom of choice" plans to keep schools segregated. It took years of court battles and federal intervention to make real progress.

Brown v. Board of Education and School Desegregation

Significance of Brown v. Board

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• Landmark Supreme Court case overturned "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
  • Ruled segregated schools inherently unequal and violated 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause
• Declared state-mandated segregation of public schools unconstitutional
  • Paved the way for desegregation of schools across United States
• Consolidated five separate cases from Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington D.C.
• Unanimous decision with Chief Justice Earl Warren delivering opinion of the court
• Served as catalyst for Civil Rights Movement and fight for racial equality in United States (Montgomery Bus Boycott, March on Washington)

Challenges of desegregation implementation

• Many southern states and school districts resisted implementation of Brown decision
  • Some states adopted "massive resistance" policies to prevent desegregation (Virginia)
    • Closed public schools and provided vouchers for white students to attend private, segregated schools
  • Some school districts implemented "freedom of choice" plans allowing students to choose schools but often maintained segregation
• White citizens' councils and Ku Klux Klan actively opposed desegregation efforts
  • Used intimidation, violence, and economic pressure to prevent African American students from attending white schools
• "Southern Manifesto" signed by 101 members of Congress denounced Brown decision and pledged to resist desegregation
• Many court battles and federal interventions necessary to enforce desegregation in resistant school districts (Little Rock Nine in 1957, desegregation of University of Mississippi in 1962)

Effectiveness of Brown decision

• Significant step towards educational equality but progress slow and uneven
  • Many school districts, particularly in South, resisted desegregation for years or even decades
• Did not address issues of de facto segregation persisting due to housing patterns and socioeconomic factors
• Quality of education in predominantly African American schools often remained inferior to predominantly white schools
  • Due to factors such as underfunding, inadequate resources, and less experienced teachers
• Achievement gap between white and African American students persisted despite desegregation efforts
• Laid groundwork for further legislation and court cases aimed at promoting educational equality (Civil Rights Act of 1964, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965)

Key figures in desegregation fight

• Thurgood Marshall as chief counsel for NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund argued Brown v. Board of Education case before Supreme Court
  • Played crucial role in developing legal strategy that led to Brown decision
  • Later became first African American Supreme Court Justice in 1967
• NAACP instrumental in fight for school desegregation
  • Filed numerous lawsuits challenging segregation in public schools, including five cases consolidated into Brown v. Board of Education
  • Provided legal support, resources, and strategic guidance to local communities fighting for desegregation
• Other key figures include:
  • Charles Hamilton Houston, Marshall's mentor and predecessor as NAACP's chief counsel
  • Oliver Hill and Spottswood Robinson, attorneys who worked with Marshall on Brown case
  • Ruby Bridges, one of first African American students to desegregate elementary school in New Orleans in 1960