Why Was the Brown V Topeka Case Important for Black Americans?
Why was the Brown v Topeka case important for black Americans?
In 1896 there had been a court case called Plessy v. Ferguson which argued that as long as facilities were equal, there was no problem for them being separate. However 90 years on, things were starting to change...
Linda Brown was a black American third grader who had to walk 6 blocks and take a bus to attend Monroe Elementary School for coloured children. However Sumner Elementary for whites was only 6 blocks away and had better facilities and more funds.
In 1951, 13 parents went to the District Court to represent their 20 kids who all wanted to go to white only schools. They were unsuccessful. The District Court ruled in favour of the board of education and they compared the case to railway carriages. They stated they would have separate but equal facilities for black and white people in the USA. In 1953 the NAACP took it to the Supreme Court and argued that the schools were not equal so the separate but equal statement did not apply. Segregation in schools had officially ended.
Nonetheless, the struggle was still not over. Since the time of slavery, the southern states heavily depended on slavery and were not happy to see it go. Many people were not overjoyed to see the changes happening around them and went to extremes to stop them.
In 1957, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus called out his state's National Guard to block black students' entry to Little Rock High School. Consequently President Dwight Eisenhower sent out the army and forced the National Gaurd to stand down as the army escorted the black students into Little Rock High School.
In 1963, Alabama Gov. George Wallace personally blocked the door to Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama to prevent the enrolment of two black students. He moved aside only when confronted by General Henry Graham of the Alabama National Guard, who was ordered by President John F. Kennedy to intervene.
As education contributes such a massive
In 1896 there had been a court case called Plessy v. Ferguson which argued that as long as facilities were equal, there was no problem for them being separate. However 90 years on, things were starting to change...
Linda Brown was a black American third grader who had to walk 6 blocks and take a bus to attend Monroe Elementary School for coloured children. However Sumner Elementary for whites was only 6 blocks away and had better facilities and more funds.
In 1951, 13 parents went to the District Court to represent their 20 kids who all wanted to go to white only schools. They were unsuccessful. The District Court ruled in favour of the board of education and they compared the case to railway carriages. They stated they would have separate but equal facilities for black and white people in the USA. In 1953 the NAACP took it to the Supreme Court and argued that the schools were not equal so the separate but equal statement did not apply. Segregation in schools had officially ended.
Nonetheless, the struggle was still not over. Since the time of slavery, the southern states heavily depended on slavery and were not happy to see it go. Many people were not overjoyed to see the changes happening around them and went to extremes to stop them.
In 1957, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus called out his state's National Guard to block black students' entry to Little Rock High School. Consequently President Dwight Eisenhower sent out the army and forced the National Gaurd to stand down as the army escorted the black students into Little Rock High School.
In 1963, Alabama Gov. George Wallace personally blocked the door to Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama to prevent the enrolment of two black students. He moved aside only when confronted by General Henry Graham of the Alabama National Guard, who was ordered by President John F. Kennedy to intervene.
As education contributes such a massive