preview

Essay on Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas

Good Essays

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas In 1950 the Reverend Oliver Brown of Topeka, Kansas, wanted to enroll his daughter, Linda Brown, in the school nearest his home (Lusane 26). The choices before him were the all-white school, only four blocks away, or the black school that was two miles away and required travel (26). His effort to enroll his daughter was spurned (26). In 1951, backed by the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, he filed suit against the Topeka school board and his case was joined by three other similar cases that were presented before the Supreme Court as one consolidated case (26). On May 17, 1954 in Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court issued one of its most historic rulings. The single most …show more content…

One of the gains in educational opportunity began in the 1960s, when programs in Black Studies or African American Studies were first established (Wilson 25). These programs encouraged black students to value themselves and their cultural heritage (25). If it had not been for Brown v. Board of Education many blacks would still feel inferior to whites and therefore have low self esteem. While textbook history ignored the great contributions of African Americans, these programs highlighted the achievements of African Americans (25). The ability to learn about the achievements of great black helped encourage the self esteem and self worth of many black children. As a result of the decision of Brown v. Board of Education the black community experienced substantial gains in education. The fact that blacks were made to feel inferior to whites led to problems involving blacks socially. Gunnar Myrdal, author of An American Dilemma stated that socially, African Americans lived and were considered outsiders, unable to enjoy, because of segregation or economic circumstance, the enrichment afforded by the arts, travel, and the world of entertainment (Tacklach 49). Another example of how the Brown v. Board of Education impacted blacks socially can be found in the improvement of school

Get Access