Brown v. Topeka
History: KS3, topic 21.1.3
The Brown v. Topeka Case 1954
NAACP combined five cases that had failed to argue against school desegregation, and took them to the Supreme Court in ‘Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas’.
The case of Brown v. Topeka
- NAACP combined five cases that had failed to argue against school desegregation, and took them to the Supreme Court in ‘Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas’.
- They argued that even with equal provision and facilities, being segregated from white students made black children feel inferior.
- They argued that 'separate but equal' therefore broke the 14th Amendment.
The judges
- During the case, a pro-segregation judge died and was replaced with an anti-segregation judge called Earl Warren who became Chief Justice, meaning he led the Supreme Court.
The verdict of Brown v. Topeka
- On 17th May 1954, the Supreme Court said schools ruled Plessy unconstitutional and schools were told to desegregate.
- However, it didn’t say when they had to do this by, so schools could avoid desegregating.
Brown II
- In May 1955 Brown II ruled that all states should make a ‘prompt and reasonable start’ on desegregation, but still didn’t give a deadline.
Test yourself on Brown v. Topeka
On which day did the Supreme Court rule that Plessy was unconstitutional and schools must desegregate?
Which civil rights organisation took the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas to court in 1954 over school segregation?