Date Created:
Place Created: Washington, DC
Year Created: 1954
Publisher: U.S. Supreme Court
Historical Theme:
Description:
In Topeka, Kansas, in the 1950s, schools were segregated by race. Each day, Linda Brown and her sister had to walk through a dangerous railroad switchyard to get to the bus stop for the ride to their all-Black elementary school. There was a school closer to the Brown’s house, but it was only for White students.
Linda Brown and her family believed that the segregated school system violated the 14th Amendment and took their case to court. The federal District Court decided that segregation in public education was harmful to Black children, but the segregation was legal because all-Black schools and all-White schools had similar buildings, transportation, curriculum, and teachers.
Categories of Documents:
Separate but equal educational facilities for racial minorities is inherently unequal, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered the opinion of the unanimous Court. The Supreme Court held that “separate but equal” facilities are inherently unequal and violate the protections of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court reasoned that the segregation of public education based on race instilled a sense of inferiority that had a hugely detrimental effect on the education and personal growth of African American children. Warren based much of his opinion on information from social science studies rather than court precedent. The decision also used language that was relatively accessible to non-lawyers because Warren felt it was necessary for all Americans to understand its logic.
Source: The National Archives
Citation: "Brown v. Board of Education." National Archives, www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/brown-v-board-of-education. Accessed [Feb 6, 2025].