preview

Summary And Decision. In A Unanimous Decision On May 17,

Good Essays

Summary and Decision
In a unanimous decision on May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled to overturn the previous rulings of cases such as the 1896 ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson which permitted racial segregation with the stipulation of “separate but equal”. In the case titled “Brown v Board of Education”, Chief Justice Earl Warren ruled in favor of five plaintiffs seeking protection under the laws of the 14th amendment. Five jurisdictions (Kansas, South Carolina, Delaware, Virginia, and District of Columbia) asserted complaints of inadequate conditions in black schools and sought admission to public schools in their community that were presently reserved for white students. Each of these jurisdictions fought for desegregation as a way to …show more content…

The court postponed determination of implementation procedures, instead hearing another round of arguments and discussion a year later. (Tolerance.org) In Brown II, the courts concluded that desegregation must take place with “all deliberate speed.” (McCarthy, Cambron-McCabe, Eckes, 2014). A lack of urgency to desegregate was demonstrated in some areas with much opposition in the southern states.
Implications on American Society
The case of Brown v. Board of Education served as an impetus for the Civil Rights movement that followed providing momentum to those fighting for equal rights for all citizens. This case was referenced in other legal proceedings that addressed civil rights laws, while work toward desegregation in education continued until the 1980s. However, progress to integrate schools in the southern states was often slow and faced with resistance. One example was shown two years after Brown II‘s conclusion in Little Rock, Arkansas when the Arkansas National Guard had to protect nine black students who were integrating Central High School. Subsequently, in 1960, New Orleans federal marshals were brought in to protect 6-year-old Ruby Bridges from angry crowds. These are two of many instances in which resistance to desegregate was evident. Following the Brown and Brown II court cases, the Supreme Court was bound to respond to a large number of purposeful violations of the court case

Get Access