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1st EditionDonald A. Ritchie, Richard C. Remy
1,148 solutions
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United States Government: Our Democracy
1st EditionDonald A. Ritchie, Richard C. Remy
1,148 solutions
In the early 1950s, Linda Brown was a young African-American student in Topeka, Kansas. Every day she and her sister, Terry Lynn, had to walk through the Rock Island Railroad Switchyard to get to the bus stop for the ride to the all-black Monroe School. Linda Brown tried to gain admission to the Sumner School, which was closer to her house, but her application was denied by the Board of Education of Topeka because of her race. The Sumner School was for white children only.
At the time of the Brown case, a Kansas statute permitted, but did not require, cities of more than 15,000 people to maintain separate school facilities for black and white students. On that basis, the Board of Education of Topeka elected to establish segregated elementary schools.
The Browns felt that the decision of the Board violated the Constitution. They and a group of parents of students denied permission to white-only schools sued the Board of Education of Topeka, alleging that the segregated school system deprived Linda Brown of the equal protection of the laws required under the 14th Amendment.
The federal district court decided that segregation in public education had a detrimental effect upon black children, but the court denied that there was any violation of Brown's rights because of the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy. The court said that the schools were substantially equal with respect to buildings, transportation, curricula, and educational qualifications of teachers. The Browns asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review that decision, and the Supreme Court agreed to do so. The Court combined the Browns' case with similar cases from South Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware.
Read the excerpt from the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
. . . nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
How does the excerpt relate to the premises of Brown v. Board of Education?
The Brown case addresses whether the plaintiff has been deprived of liberty, or freedom, as a result of attending segregated
schools.
The Brown case addresses whether the plaintiff's property has been placed in jeopardy while attending segregated schools.
The Brown case addresses whether the plaintiff has been denied due process of law while attempting to attend public schools.
The Brown case addresses whether the plaintiff has been afforded equal protection of the laws relative to those attending public schools.
The Brown case addresses whether the plaintiff has been afforded equal protection of the laws relative to those attending public schools.
Read the excerpt from Brown v. Board of Education.
We must consider public education in the light of its full development and its present place in American life throughout the Nation.
Why does the Supreme Court make this distinction?
The court recognizes that the current delivery of education might compromise citizens' rights.
The court recognizes that
the US education system has evolved over time.
The court recognizes that people in some localities are being treated unfairly by teachers.
The court recognizes that segregated schools require additional federal funding.
The court recognizes that the current delivery of education might compromise citizens' rights.
Read the excerpt from Brown v. Board of Education.
This discussion and our own investigation convince us that, although these sources cast some light, it is not enough to resolve the problem with which we are faced. At best, they are inconclusive. . . .
[T]here are findings below that the Negro and white schools involved have been equalized, or are being equalized . . .
This excerpt suggests that the Supreme Court Justices
cannot find a conclusive reason to uphold separate systems of education
Read the excerpt from the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States . . .
How does the excerpt relate to the premises of Brown v. Board of Education?
The Brown case addresses whether separate water fountains and entrances abridge students' privileges.
The Brown case addresses whether education systems separated by race limit citizens'
privileges.
The Brown case addresses whether varied state curriculums inhibit students' ability to learn.
The Brown case addresses whether teachers' racial stereotyping restricts students' rights and privileges.
The Brown case addresses whether education systems separated by race limit citizens' privileges.
Which movement followed the Brown v. Board of Education
decision?
equality
suffrage
emancipation
desegregation
desegregation
Why did the Supreme Court decide to overturn Plessy v. Ferguson, as explained in Brown v. Board of Education?
Separate is inherently unequal.
Education is important for all races.
School policies should be uniform.
Citizenship requires voting rights.
Separate is inherently unequal.
Read the excerpt from the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.
How does the excerpt relate to the premises of Brown v. Board of Education?
The Brown case addresses whether the plaintiffs have been afforded the full rights of citizenship.
The Brown case
addresses whether the plaintiffs are informed of their rights as US citizens.
The Brown case addresses whether the quality of education can legally vary from state to state.
The Brown case addresses whether matters of education are under the Supreme Court's jurisdiction.
The Brown case addresses whether the plaintiffs have been afforded the full rights of citizenship.
Read the excerpt from Brown v. Board of Education.
Because these are class actions, because of the wide applicability of this decision, and because of the great variety of local conditions, the formulation of decrees in these cases presents problems of considerable complexity.
Why does the Supreme Court describe these considerations?
to explain the historical context in which segregation was endorsed
to illustrate the different interpretations of the law throughout the nation
to compare the quality of
education delivered throughout the years of segregation
to emphasize the challenges inherent in determining a ruling for a varied nation
to emphasize the challenges inherent in determining a ruling for a varied nation
Read the excerpt from Brown v. Board of Education.
They are premised on different facts and different local conditions, but a common legal question justifies their consideration together in this consolidated opinion.
Based on this excerpt, The Supreme Court chose to consider the case due to
the wide variety of facts presented to them.
a legal issue shared by a number of cases.
the condition of schools in remote localities.
a concern about the treatment of citizens.
a legal issue shared by a number of cases.
Read the excerpt from a supporting opinion of the Supreme Court's ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896.
Laws permitting, and even requiring, their separation in places where they are liable to be brought into contact do not necessarily imply the inferiority of either race to the other, and have been generally, if not universally, recognized as within the competency of the state legislatures in the exercise of their police power.
How does this relate to the premises of Brown v. Board of Education?
The Brown case addresses whether state legislatures are
equipped to judge the quality of education offered at segregated schools.
The Brown case addresses whether authorities believe that one race is inferior to another when creating public schools.
The Brown case addresses whether these laws inherently deny certain citizens equal protection under the law.
The Brown case addresses the legality of using police power to monitor public places separated by race.
The Brown case addresses whether these laws inherently deny certain citizens equal protection under the law.