Brown+vs.+Board+of+Education

=Brown vs. Board of Education=

Overview
Brown vs. Board of Education was a court case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. Linda Brown, a third grade student, lived only seven blocks from an elementary school in Topeka, Kansas. However, she was forced to walk a mile, crossing the switchyard for a railroad, to reach he elementary school for black children; the closer one was exclusively for whites. Linda's father's attempt to enroll her at the white school failed as the principal denied the request. Mr. Brown then sought the help of the NAACP. The organization consolidated Brown's case with four other cases from across the country also stressing injustice of segregated schools. The case was heard by Kansas's District Court on the 25th and 26th of June, 1951. Because the Supreme Court permitted "separate but equal" facilities in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the verdict fell in favor of the Board of Education. From there, the case was brought before the Supreme Court.

Central Issue
The Supreme Court first listened to the case in December 1952. Then, a second hearing was conducted a year later. Brown's side argued that segregated schooling told black children that they were not as good as white children. The defense stated that since segregation could be found in many other areas of society, separate schools only helped black children become used to the world they would move into. The court's decision was reached unanimously on May 17th, 1954. Chief Justice Earl Warren, sworn in less than a year ago, said, "We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place." The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff.

Conclusion/Historical Significance
While Brown vs. Board of Education declared public schooling segregation unconstitutional, it did not end segregation. The case never touched on other forms of segregation outside of public schooling. Furthermore, the ruling gave no timetable as to when schools should be desegregated by. Still, its importance stretches far beyond allowing Linda Brown to be educated at a nearer school. The landmark case overruled Plessy vs. Ferguson, weakening the "separate but equal" argument that had been used to uphold segregation. Brown vs. Board of Education helped lay the ground for the success of the civil rights movement. The decision affects life to current times; all public schools across the country are accessible to both blacks and whites.