African American Schools From The Landmark Case Of Plessy V. Ferguson

Picture this: a world with no color. Would racism still exist? Or would people be discriminated based on other things such as height, weight, or the sound of their voice? We may never know the answer to these questions. Racism is still alive in the United States, but it is not as severe and oppressive as it was during the era of the Jim Crow laws. The 13th amendment freed the slaves in the United States, however, not many white Americans agreed with this. The 13th amendment did not shield the African Americans from oppression, “The segregation and disenfranchisement laws known as ‘Jim Crow’

In his article, “Still Separate, Still Unequal: America’s Educational Apartheid”, Jonathan Kozol points out, whether we are aware or not, how American public schools are segregated. Schools that were segregated twenty-five to thirty years ago are still segregated, and schools that had been integrated are now re-segregating. The achievement gap between black and white students, after narrowing for a few decades, started to widen once again in the early 1990s when federal courts got rid of the mandates of the Brown decision and schools were no longer required to integrate.

That being said, the school system stood to profit greatly from the desegregation of schools, and, although initially desegregated schools were aimed to benefit the students, “the figures put beyond dispute the fact that virtually every white person in the city would benefit directly or indirectly from the desegregation plan,” (And We Are Not Saved, 107). This illustrates the Derrick Bell’s point that white government’s are only adamant about helping the black community if they stand to prosper from it--and in most cases--they will through the lens of a dollar

The landmark power known as judicial review has had many lasting effects on laws known as precedents, from permitting the separation of two races to requiring that all defendants receive attorneys. Precedents regard racial segregation are the basis of what the cases Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education established when viewed as two components of one story. Plessy v. Ferguson resulted in the “separate, but equal” doctrine allowing African Americans and white Americans to stay separate. Brown v.

Education has long been regarded as a valuable asset for all of America's youth. Yet, when this benefit is denied to a specific group, measures must be taken to protect its educational right. In the 1950's, a courageous group of activists launched a legal attack on segregation in schools. At the head of this attack was NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall; his legal strategies would contribute greatly to the dissolution of educational segregation.

Sixty-two years ago, the Supreme Court ruled the “separate but equal” doctrine unconstitutional. The decision from the Plessy v. Ferguson case was lawfully denounced by the Brown v. Board of Education. The Brown case, which was initiated by the members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), served as a stimulus for challenging segregation in all areas of society, especially in public educational institutions. Among the support for the desegregation in school systems, there was a young yet compelling voice who was heard by numerous ears in the rural city in Farmville, Alabama. The virtuous and determined Barbara Johns, who was only a high school student then led her tiny, hovel-like school’s student body and the Farmville community to file a lawsuit in the hope of terminating the inequality in regards to the educational system.

These cases all involve discrimination, disrespect, and judgment: Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, and Loving v. Virginia. We all are different in different ways and we all don't look alike but that shouldn't change how we see each other as people . Being colored or being white doesn't mean anything it's just the skin that God gave you. It doesn't tell you who you are or who you have to be. It's up to you how you act and treat others. “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” —Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. one of the worlds biggest most known activist helped change our ways from what they were to what they are right now. He helped show that it's ok to be different and in the end all come together as one.

Assassinations, riots, and boycotting all led up to the society we have today. Whites and blacks were not allowed to be friends, class mates or even be around each other. They had separate things which listed whites only and blacks only. This included schools, railroad cars, and busses.Two key cases are Plessy v.s. Ferguson and Brown v.s. Board of Education. The majority and minority’s decisions for these two cases set precedent that will effect everyone in America. These landmark cases are closely related because they helped provide the true intent of the 13th and 14th amendment. In addition, Plessy v.s. Ferguson and Brown v.s. Board of Education effectively help revolutionize the interpretation of the 13th and 14th amendment.

This chapter elaborates on how racism has a negative impact on African American education, in which has been happening for many decades and is currently taking place. Furthermore, it speaks about segregation and how it currently exists in different ways. Additionally, it speaks on how segregation not only exist in one school, but it likewise exists across the school districts. It speaks on how segregation in these schools has a negative impact on students’ academic success and future success.

Mo Hock Ke Lok Po v. Stainback (1944) was another court case that gave parents the right to have their children taught in a foreign language. This was a significant victory because it implied that parents had a voice in regards to the education their children were to receive.

The Chicago Public School system was slow to integrate even after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling of 1954. It took much protesting, federal involvement and public outrage to finally bring about more racial equality for the students of Chicago. While the Brown v. Board of Education ruling is thought of as being the reason any racial equality was brought to schools after such long hardships for the African American students, Chicago had a difficult time bringing the ruling to fruition and federal involvement was needed. The Chicago Public School’s Desegregation Consent Decree of 1980 was the order that changed the public schools for the good. Chicago’s story of integration is different than those of other big cities in the U.S, due to the federal government 's large involvement. Through the years after the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, the School Superintendents changed and school desegregation was faced in different ways. This essay examines what led to the federal government 's involvement with the Chicago Public School system’s desegregation plan. As well as the effects of desegregation on all students in Chicago.

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle” (Marthin Luther King). The civil rights movement was a long and harsh journey for the "colored". A world, founded on equality, was separated by the color of one's skin. Of course, African Americans wanted the equality that was guaranteed by their Founding fathers. The color of people's skin slowly became irrelevant as blacks and whites were now equal by the decisions of the court cases : Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, and University of California v. Bakke.

In the case of Robert Russa High School, Black residents lobbied the Prince Edward County school district to erect a separate African-American high school. Their request was met with tepid support from the local school board. However, “under pressure from local black professional men, during the 1920s the Prince Edward County School Board reluctantly added high school grades to the all-black Mary E. Branch Elementary School. The blame for such slow and inadequate effort was always placed on the lack of funds. Although it was true that financing problems existed, all-white schools still tended to fare better.” (VA GOV). The façade of “separate but equal” continued to shape political rhetoric for the Prince Edward County School Board. However, Robert Russa High School’s creation and establishment amid white institutional pushback demonstrated the power of “Black persistence” in Farmville,

Education has always been valued in the African American community. During slavery freed slaves and those held captive, organized to educate themselves. After emancipation the value of education became even more important to ex-slaves, as it was their emblem of freedom and a means to full participation in American Society (Newby & Tyack, 1971). During this time many schools for African Americans were both founded and maintained by African Americans. African Americans continued to provide education throughout their own communities well into the 1930’s (Green, McIntosh, Cook-Morales, & Robinson-Zanartu, 2005). The atmosphere of these schools resembled a family. The

Education was one of things that every parent wanted for their children regardless of whatever situation they were in. Public schools were segregated. In 1954 there was a lawsuit that ended legal segregation in public schools known as Brown V. Board of Education. In the fall of 1950, the NAACP sued on behalf of third-grader Linda Brown of Topeka, Kansas (Gates, 2013, p.323). Brown’s parents lived near a white school and wanted their daughter to attend that school because it was closer to their home than any other school that was around them. Thurgood Marshall was one of the lawyers for the NAACP during the time and argued that segregation condemns children, thinking that they lower than the whites that the Court had supposedly threw out in the Plessy case. The Court also heard from other families that were going through the same situation as Brown. May 17th, 1954, the Court ruled in favor of the black students. This decision allowed blacks to attend any public school that they