TVK News Vol. XXVIII No. 68
Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland
Tuesday, May 18, 1954
Supreme Court Decides School Segregation Is Unconstitutional
Court desegregates Public Schools Written by Kayuri P.
May 17th, 1954, The Supreme Court voted to desegregate public schools regarding the Brown v. Board of Education case. A resident from Topeka, Kansas, who preferred to remain anonymous, exclaimed, “This case has been going on for too long. My daughter can finally go to a school in our neighborhood!”
Racial Inequality Has Remained Throughout Time Written by Kayuri P.
For many years now, our government has been providing an unconstitutional life for African Americans in the south. This is not only caused by mandated segregation in facilities and public services, but also by the decreased opportunity and
freedom compared to those of White citizens. This all started with the end of enslavement. The south wanted a legalized way to control and regulate the lives of the formerly enslaved, so they began the use of Black Codes and Jim Crow laws. The Jim Crow laws preserved segregation and curtailed the rights of African Americans. Black codes were very similar in that they helped to maintain the decided restrictions. While inducing racial inequality, the local governments used these laws to utilize the labor of the formerly enslaved. These governments also created an inadequate environment for African Americans in the attempt to minimize the allocation of money. For example, supplies at schools for Black people were all extras that weren’t needed or no longer used by the White kids. Most of the time, this consisted of broken equipment or out-of-date textbooks.
“Separate but Equal” Doctrine is Being Questioned Written by Kayuri P.
In 1896, the Plessy v. Ferguson's bill was passed, creating the doctrine, “separate but equal”. Homer Adolph Plessy, (Creator of the bill) came up with the idea to have equal quality within facilities, but to still keep the racial separation. This could include giving supplies to all children that are in the same condition, but maintaining the disconnection between Black and White kids. This doctrine was the result of an endeavor to “fix” inequality while sustaining segregation. However, it did not receive the expected outcome as the continuance of separation based on race caused feelings of inferiority.
Oliver Brown Aids in the Process of the Case Written by Kayuri P.
Oliver Brown contributed to the solution of inequality after his daughter was denied the right to attend a public school alongside White children. He filed a lawsuit opposing racial segregation, and hired Thurgood Marshall, the head of NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), for assistance. Although there was much desire by African Americans to join forces with the NAACP, the risk of losing so little that they had in the first place, was too high. Christopher Smith, after turning down the offer to join the Association said, “As much as I wanted to be a fighter against injustice, I couldn’t risk losing my job. My family’s counting on me.” Despite these hesitations, Oliver Brown was successful enough to take a step forward in eliminating the threats of segregation. This case has impacted so many lives and will hopefully further improve human rights.
Coca-Cola…Makes good things taste better
Five Different Cases on Racial Injustice Witten by Tessa G.
The Brown v. Board of Education was named after
Linda Brown, Oliver Brown, and their family, who filed a lawsuit against segregated schools in Topeka, Kansas.
This photo was taken in Topeka Kansas, in 1953. At a racially segregated school, Monroe Elementary, Linda Brown sits with her classmates.
Originally, The Brown v. Board of Education began as five separate cases dedicated to altering school segregation. These cases included Belton v. Gebhart, Bolling v. Sharpe, Briggs v. Elliott, Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, and most importantly, Brown v. Board of education. Belton v. Gebhart first began in Claymont, Delaware, regarding African American parents who were disappointed with their children walking miles to an all-Black high school. In 1952, a judge in Delaware, Chancellor Collins J. Seitz, ordered that African American children must be allowed into the all-White Claymont High School. In the District of Columbia, Bolling v. Sharpe regarded 11 African American high school students who created a petition to end school segregation. However, the lower courts of this trial were unsuccessful, therefore entering the Supreme Court. In South Carolina, Briggs v. Elliot included one of the twenty parents who sued hoping to improve their
schools and gain equality. The U.S District Court saw that the African American schools were subordinate to the White schools, considering their class size, distance, and academic level. The court instructed that they provide fairness. Afterward, their case was selected to be addressed by The Supreme Court. Davis v. The County School Board of Prince Edward County started in Virginia in 1952. It regarded 117 African American students who decided to strike against attending an all-Black school.
Group of more than 100 students at Robert Moton Highschool of Farmville Virginia. This photo was taken in March of 1953, during the Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County case.
All Cases Fail, Then Combine Into One Written by Tessa G.
Thurgood Marshall (head of NAACP) representing African American rights, said, “To protest against injustice is the foundation of all our American democracy.” A month later, a lawsuit was filed in a Federal Court. None of these cases succeeded in these District Courts, therefore combining into the one that we know today, the Brown v. Board of Education. Some people are in favor of segregation, and actions that could affect Black lives, thus making this case so controversial. This trial has been a big issue that has needed to be changed and therefore, it was brought to the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court Decisions Have Changed Written by Victoria S.
At the beginning of the trial, the Justices were completely divided on what their decision would be regarding this conflict. Chief Justice Vincent had a very strong opinion about keeping the Plessy Verdict in state. The Plessy Verdict explained that segregation was authorized only if it was “separate but equal.” However, in September of 1953, before the case had officially gone to
the Supreme Court, he died. He was then replaced with Justice Earl Warren, the former Governor of California. Although Warren was previously a conservative Republican, he had many Liberal views as well. Because he was a Chief Justice, Warren made a big impact on swaying the decisions of other Justices. He was one of the most important people regarding this case because, without him, the judges could potentially still be divided on their decisions. He said, “In the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place.” Thurgood Marshall made an argument saying that segregation in schools was unconstitutional and against the 14th amendment. The 14th amendment protects African American people and the formerly enslaved by giving them equal rights to White people. This defies the Constitution because the schools were separate but certainly not equal. He made an additional point, saying that when African American children are segregated from White children, it can negatively affect their mental health. Ultimately, the Supreme Courts' final decisions were to desegregate public schools. They wrote, “The plaintiffs were being deprived of the equal protection laws guaranteed by the 14th amendment.” Throughout the years we have never seen a change like this, and it will be interesting to see what in the future it will bring.
TVK News Vol.II No. 84
Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland
May 18, 2020
64th Anniversary of Brown v. The Board of Education We then were introduced to significant people like Martin Luther King Junior and Rosa Parks. The further cases that were a result of The Brown v. Board of Education led to many events, including laws that prohibited racial discrimination and influenced desegregation. Two years after the verdict, Martin Luther King reflected on this and said, “To all men of goodwill, this decision came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of human captivity.”
This photo is of George E.C Hayes, Thurgood Marshall, and James M. Nabrit on May 17, 1954. They are standing in front of the Supreme Court, in Washington D.C. celebrating the verdict of the case.
Desegregation Changed Our Lives as We Know it Today Written by Victoria S.
Yesterday was the 64th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, and this trial still has an impact on our lives now. Even though The Brown v. The Board of Education plan didn't work right away, because it was so innovative, we have made many more anti-racism improvements since then. Just a few years after the decision date, many more cases appeared, some being the Civil Rights Act of 1964, The Voting Rights Act of 1968, The Housing Act Rights of 1968, and the end to the Jim Crow laws.
Unfortunately, Brown v. The Board of Education didn't remove segregation altogether, it inspired protesters and started the Civil Rights Movement. We realize now that the verdict of Brown v. The Board of Education didn't accomplish a lot, however, it raised awareness in the south of the issues regarding segregation in public places. The plan made by the Supreme Court wasn’t beneficial only because states could supersede the Federal
Government. Thus, the verdict of Brown v. Board of Education had a great impact on history, Civil Rights, and our lives today.