How did the Supreme Court become involved in the case of Brown v. Board of Education?
What led to the involvement of the Supreme Court in the case of Brown v. Board of Education?
Answer:
The Supreme Court became involved in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, which tackled school segregation.The case of Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court case that addressed the issue of racial segregation in public schools. The case originated in Topeka, Kansas, where African American students were denied admission to certain public schools based on their race.
Challenging the doctrine of "separate but equal" established in the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund represented a group of African American families in Kansas, including Oliver Brown, who was the lead plaintiff in the case. The case was named after him.
The Supreme Court became involved in the case as it raised constitutional questions about the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Court had the opportunity to address the issue of segregation in public schools and rule on its constitutionality.
In a unanimous decision in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students were unconstitutional. This decision marked a significant turning point in the civil rights movement and laid the groundwork for desegregation efforts in schools and other public facilities across the country.