Brown v. Board of Education.CHARACTERS Thurgood Marshall For people and institutions etc. named after Thurgood Marshall, see . Thurgood Marshall (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American jurist and the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. , lead lawyer, NAACP NAACP in full National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Oldest and largest U.S. civil rights organization. It was founded in 1909 to secure political, educational, social, and economic equality for African Americans; W.E.B. Du Bois and Ida B. Joseph DeLaine Reverend Joseph Armstrong DeLaine (1898-1974) was a Methodist minister and civil rights leader from Clarendon County, South Carolina. He received a B.A. from Allen University in 1931, working as a laborer and running a dry cleaning business to pay for his education. , teacher Robert Figg, defense attorney, Clarendon County, South Carolina
Clarendon County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 32,502; in 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the population had reached 33,363. Charles Bledsoe, NAACP lawyer Oliver Brown Oliver Brown may refer to:
Silas Fleming, Brown plaintiff John Davis, lead lawyer, Brown opposition Members of the U.S. Supreme Court: Chief Justice Fred Vinson Fred Vinson may refer to
Justice Hugo Black Hugo LaFayette Black (February 27, 1886–September 25, 1971) was an American politician and jurist. A member of the Democratic Party, Black represented the state of Alabama in the United States Senate from 1926 to 1937, and served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter Felix Frankfurter (November 15, 1882 – February 22, 1965) was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Early life Frankfurter was born in Vienna, Austria. Chief Justice Earl Warren Noun 1. Earl Warren - United States jurist who served as chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1891-1974) Warren Ralph Ellison Noun 1. Ralph Ellison - United States novelist who wrote about a young Black man and his struggles in American society (1914-1994) Ellison, Ralph Waldo Ellison , African-American author Narrators A-D A-D Advance-Decline, or measurement of the number of issues trading above their previous closing prices less the number trading below their previous closing prices over a particular period. In 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States Supreme Court of the United States Final court of appeal in the U.S. judicial system and final interpreter of the Constitution of the United States. The Supreme Court was created by the Constitutional Convention of 1787 as the head of a federal court system, though it was had to decide if segregating black and white children in schools was unconstitutional. The case, Brown v. Board of Education Brown v. Board of Education (of Topeka) (1954) U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court ruled unanimously that racial segregation in public schools violated the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. , would mark a turning point in the struggle for equal rights. INTRODUCTION Nearly a century after the Civil War, school segregation was still required of permitted in 24 states. But separate was far from equal. Black children often attended schools that were overcrowded o·ver·crowd v. o·ver·crowd·ed, o·ver·crowd·ing, o·ver·crowds v.tr. To cause to be excessively crowded: a system of consolidation that only overcrowded the classrooms. , lacking in supplies, poorly heated, and run-down run·down n. 1. A point-by-point summary. 2. Baseball A play in which a runner is trapped between bases and is pursued by fielders attempting to make the tag. adj. also run-down 1. a. . The problem was especially bad in the South, where an 1898 Supreme Court decision, Plessy v. Ferguson Plessy v. Ferguson, case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1896. The court upheld an 1890 Louisiana statute mandating racially segregated but equal railroad carriages, ruling that the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth amendment to the U.S. , was used lo justify segregation. In that case, the Court upheld a Louisiana law Louisiana is the only U.S. state whose legal system is based in part on civil law, which is based on French and Spanish codes and ultimately Roman law, as opposed to English common law, which is based on precedent and custom. requiring "separate but equal" facilities for blacks and whites in railway cars. (See "The Supreme Court, "January 5, 2004, JS, p. 13.) The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), organization composed mainly of American blacks, but with many white members, whose goal is the end of racial discrimination and segregation. (NAACP) was determined to overturn the Plessy decision. Leading the fight was the head of the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund, Thurgood Marshall. SCENE 1 Narrator NARRATOR. A pleader who draws narrs serviens narrator, a sergeant at law. Fleta, 1. 2, c. 37. Obsolete. A: The story begins in Clarendon County, South Carolina. There, a black teacher named Joseph DeLaine has been trying for years to get the school board to provide buses and desks for students in the black schools. In March 1949, he attends a meeting with NAACP lawyer Thurgood Marshall. Joseph DeLaine: Mr. Marshall, our schools are a plain disgrace. Thurgood Marshall: We have to band together. If you can get 20 people to be plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the county, we will argue that the schools must be integrated--not just made equal. DeLaine: I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if I can find that many people willing to sign on. The white folks made sure the plaintiff in our bus case lost his entire crop last year. Narrator A: It takes DeLaine all summer and fall to convince 20 people to join the suit. He doesn't stop even when the school board fires him. On May 28, 1951, the U.S. District Court for South Carolina South Carolina, state of the SE United States. It is bordered by North Carolina (N), the Atlantic Ocean (SE), and Georgia (SW). Facts and Figures Area, 31,055 sq mi (80,432 sq km). Pop. (2000) 4,012,012, a 15. finally hears the lawsuit, Briggs v. Elliot. Marshall (in court): Segregation violates the very principles of the Fourteenth Amendment Fourteenth Amendment, addition to the U.S. Constitution, adopted 1868. The amendment comprises five sections. Section 1 Section 1 of the amendment declares that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are American citizens and citizens . Robert Figg: But you can't just change the way people have lived for hundreds of years. Besides, we are building colored schools that are as good as the white ones. Marshall: Education is more than just mortar [plaster] and bricks. It is everything a child learns. Right now, segregation is teaching Negro children they are inferior. The court must stop this injustice. Narrator A: The three-judge court rules two-to-one against the plaintiffs. Their lawyers appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. SCENE 2 Narrator B: That same year, 1951, a lawsuit against the school board in Topeka, Kansas This article is about the state capital of Kansas. For other uses, see Topeka (disambiguation). Topeka is the capital of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County, which is named after the Shawnee Indians. , comes before another U.S. District Court. One of the plaintiffs is Oliver Brown, a World War II veteran and the father of three girls. The suit is named for him: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483, 47 S. Ct. 686, 98 L. Ed. 873, was the most significant of a series of judicial decisions overturning segregation laws—laws that separate whites and blacks. . Charles Bledsoe (in court): Tell us about your 7-year-old daughter, Linda. How does she get to school? Oliver Brown: Linda must leave the house every morning at 7:40 to get to Monroe, the colored school, by 9:00. Walking to the bus, she has to pass through the switching yard of the Rock Island Railroad, which is very dangerous. Often the bus is late, and she has to stand there in the rain or snow. Bledsoe: Is there another school that's closer? Brown: Yes, sir. Sumner School is only seven blocks away--but it's only for the white children. Narrator B: Each of the other plaintiffs tells a similar story. The last to testify is Silas Hardrick Fleming, the father of two boys. Silas Fleming: Let me tell you why I am part of this suit. My children and I are craving craving Psychology A strong desire to consume a particular substance–eg of abuse, or food; craving is a major factor in relapse and/or continued use after withdrawal from a substance of abuse and is both imprecisely defined and difficult to measure. light. All colored people are craving light. And the only way to reach the light is to start all of our children together in their infancy and bring them up together. Narrator B: The three-judge court rules in favor of the school board. But the judges make a startling star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. [surprising] observation: Segregation is harmful to black children because "a sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn." SCENE 3 Narrator C: The plaintiffs appeal the Brown case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court agrees to hear Brown--but combines it with four other cases, including Briggs v. Elliot and lawsuits from Virginia, Delaware, and the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). . Finally, on December 9, 1952, the Supreme Court assembles to hear the combined cases of Brown v. Board of Education. John Davis: The very strength of our federal system depends on our local governments deciding their own affairs. The Constitution is clear about this. Marshall: You miss the point. In these states represented today, Negroes have been taken out of the mainstream of American life simply because of their color. That is unconstitutional. Narrator C: The Justices are sharply divided about how to rule. On December 13, they discuss the issue. Chief Justice Vinson: We can't simply throw out a law and change the whole Southern way of life without an act of Congress. We have to give the South a chance to make things equal for its Negroes. Justice Black: I disagree. Segregation comes from the belief that Negroes are inferior beings, period. The South will hold on to Plessy until we overturn it. Justice Frankfurter: We have to be very careful here. We must not more too fast, nor violate the Constitution. I think we should put off a decision until all nine of us can agree. Narrator C: The Justices agree to rehear re·hear tr.v. re·heard , re·hear·ing, re·hears 1. To hear again. 2. Law To give a new hearing to (a case) by the same court. Verb 1. the cases the following October. SCENE 4 Narrator D: On September 8, 1953, before the Court can reassemble re·as·sem·ble v. re·as·sem·bled, re·as·sem·bling, re·as·sem·bles v.tr. 1. To bring or gather together again: reassembled the band for a reunion tour. 2. , Chief Justice Vinson dies of a heart attack. President Dwight D. Eisenhower appoints Earl Warren, Governor of California The Governor of California is the highest executive authority in the state government, whose responsibilities include making yearly "State of the State" addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced. , to be the new Chief Justice. Warren works hard to overcome the divisions on the Court, which hears new arguments in the cases on December 7. Davis: It is clear to us that the Fourteenth Amendment does not require integrated schools. South Carolina has already made its white and colored schools equal. So, you tell me now: If you have 27 Negro children and 3 whites in a classroom, will that help them learn better? Will they be any happier? Marshall: The South is determined that those people who were once slaves should be kept as near slavery as possible. Now is the time for us to make it clear: That is not what our Constitution stands for. Narrator D: Chief Justice Warren is convinced that the Court must overturn Plessy--and send a signal of unity to the country with a unanimous decision A Unanimous Decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking in which all 3 judges agree on which fighter won the match. . It is not easy, but the Chief Justice convinces the last of the doubtful Justices. On May 17, 1954, he makes the dramatic announcement of the Court's 9-0 decision. Chief Justice Warren: Does segregation in public schools deprive de·prive v. 1. To take something from someone or something. 2. To keep from possessing or enjoying something. minority children of equal educational opportunities? We believe it does. Segregation generates [produces] a feeling of inferiority in these children that may never be undone. We hereby conclude that the doctrine of "separate but equal" has no place in public education. Narrator D: The Court's decision causes great celebration--and provokes great anger--across the country. Among the celebrators is African-American author Ralph Ellison, who says: Ralph Ellison: The Court has found in our favor and recognized our psychological complexity and citizenship. Another battle of the Civil War has been won. AFTERWORD af·ter·word n. See epilogue. The Brown decision did not create equality overnight. Making integration work in the nation's schools has proved difficult. Since 1954, much progress has been made toward providing a quality education for all children in the U.S. But there have also been setbacks (see "Racial Equality," pp. 10-11). And yet, Brown changed everything. It helped make the civil rights movement possible. In 1967, Thurgood Marshall made more history when he became the first black Justice of the Supreme Court. A member of Marshall's legal team on Brown later said: "American politics was once like a frozen sea. Brown was the ice cutter." Brown v. Board of Education Fifty Years Later Dear Teacher, In this issue, you will find a classroom play dramatizing the events surrounding the 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education. The Court's landmark ruling, issued 50 years ago, overturned segregation laws and helped to launch the civil rights movement. But how have the nation's schools changed since that historic decision? Students will be able to answer the question after reading an article on racial equality on page 10. They will also learn about Cambodia and the struggles one young orphan endured to survive the brutal reign of the Khmer Rouge Khmer Rouge (kəmĕr` r  zh), name given to native Cambodian Communists. Khmer Rouge soldiers, aided by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops, began a large-scale insurgency against in the 1970s.As we look ahead to next year, we hope you will continue to make JS a vital part of your classroom experience. Please see the last page of your Teacher's Edition for some of the stories and features we are planning for the 2004-2005 year. These include: * Special election coverage--Scholastic Student Reporters will interview the candidates! * Geography skills program--Basic map and geography skills linked to breaking news stories. * Bonus classroom posters, expanded history program, and more!--Materials to help you meet your state's curriculum standards. Renew your subscription now at 2003 prices! Call 1-800-Scholastic (1-800-724-6527). Thank you! The Editors OBJECTIVE Students should understand * In 1954, the Supreme Court found school segregation unconstitutional in the Brown v. Board of Education case. TEACHING STRATEGY Ask students: "How would segregation laws affect the way students learn and establish friendships with people of other races?" BACKGROUND The Brown v. Board of Education decision came in two parts. In 1954, the Court declared segregation to be unconstitutional. In 1955, the Court considered how to end school segregation. The Court recognized that many communities Faced institutional, political, and social challenges in integrating schools. It struggled to define a schedule for desegregation desegregation: see integration. , and ultimately phrased its order that states should begin desegregating "with all deliberate speed." But many states attempted to avoid or delay desegregation. CRITICAL THINKING CAUSE AND EFFECT: According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the NAACP, how did segregation laws affect black children? (The NAACP argued that "separate but equal" laws had failed to establish quality schools for black children. Moreover, the ability of black children to learn was diminished because segregation had taught them that they were naturally inferior.) MAKING INFERENCES: Why was the Brown v. Board of Education decision considered a turning point in the struggle for equal rights? (The Court's ruling to overturn segregation laws in the schools helped to integrate American society as a whole. The ruling also helped to launch the civil rights movement.) ACTIVITY UNANIMOUS DECISION: Instruct students to write a persuasive essay from one Supreme Court Justice to the eight others, convincing them of the importance of a unanimous ruling to overturn segregation laws. AMERICAN HISTORY PLAY: BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION, PAGES 6-9 Select the letter of the word, phrase, or number that best completes each sentence. -- 6. In 1954, school segregation was practiced in -- states. A. 24 B. 36 C. 42 7. Thurgood Marshall helped to overturn segregation laws in the Brown v. Board of Education case as a --. A. Supreme Court Justice B. lawyer for the NAACP C. U.S. Senator 8. Segregation laws were first upheld in a previous Supreme Court case known as A. Briggs v. Elliot B. Plessy v. Ferguson C. Thurgood v. Louisiana -- 9. In defending segregation before the Supreme Court in 1952, John Davis argued that --. A. blacks were inferior to whites B. President Eisenhower had supported "separate but equal" laws C. the federal government should not rule on issues better left to local governments 10. The was influential in leading the Supreme Court to overturn the nation's segregation laws. A. bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital and second most populous city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Montgomery is notable for its historic involvement during the Civil War, for being the first capital of the Confederacy, and for being a primary site in B. appointment of Earl Warren as Chief Justice C. "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King Jr. TIME LINE OF EVENTS LEADING TO BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION This time line lists some of the Court decisions and other events that led up to the historic Brown v. Board of Education case. Answer the questions below on a separate sheet of paper.
TIMELINE
1857 1865 1865
In Dred Scott v. John Congress establishes Southern states begin
F. A. Sanford, the the Bureau of to pass "Black
Supreme Court rules Refugees, Freedmen, Codes," laws meant to
that blacks, free or and Abandoned Lands limit the rights and
enslaved, cannot be (or Freedmen's freedoms of blacks.
citizens of the Bureau) to provide Among the rights
United States. relief to slaves denied blacks are the
freed by the Civil right to serve on a
War (1861-1865). The jury or to offer
agency creates the court testimony
nation's first school against a white
for blacks, including person.
Howard University,
alma mater of Charles
Hamilton Houston (see
1938) and Thurgood
Marshall.
1868 1875-1883 1896
Congess ratifies the Congress passes the In Plessy v.
Fourteenth Amendment Civil Rights Act of Ferguson, the Supreme
to the Constitution. 1875. The federal law Court rules that
The amendment prohibits "separate but equal"
guarantees that all discrimination in laws do not violate
people born or theaters, trains, the Fourteenth
naturilized in the hotels, and other Amendment. The
United States are public areas. In decision will serve
citizens. It also 1883, the Supreme as the basis for
declares that all Court rules the racial segragation.
citizens are legislation is
guaranteed the equal unconditional.
protection of the
law.
1908-1909 1938 1954-1955
Thurgood Marshall is NAACP lawyer Charles On May 17, 1954, the
born on July 2, 1908. Hamilton Houston wins Supreme Court
He will eventually an important victory over-turns school
become the lead in Gaines v. Canada segregation in Brown
lawyer in the Brown Houston argues that v. Board of
v. Board of Education Missouri violated Education. In 1955,
case. In 1909, W.E.B. Plessy v. Ferguson by the Court orders
Du Bois, Ida not providing equal states to integrate
Wells-Barnett, and law schools for schools "with all
other establish the blacks. The Supreme deliberate speed."
National Association Court agrees and The word
for the Advancement order states to deliberate, meaning
of Colored People integrate or build careful and show,
(NAACP). equal graduate school causes confusion and
for blacks. allows some states to
delay desegregation.
QUESTIONS 1. Blacks were first denied the rights of citizens in which Supreme Court ruling? 2. Which event in U.S. history precipitated (led to) the creation of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands? 3. How were the legal rights of blacks affected by Black Codes black cod n. See sablefish. ? 4. How did the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands help lead to the NAACP legal victory in the Brown v. Board of Education case? 5. What is the major guarantee to citizens of the Fourteenth Amendment? 6. Cite an example of a case in which the U.S. Supreme Court declared a federal or a state law unconstitutional. 7. Who helped establish the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)? 8. How did NAACP lawyer Charles Hamilton Houston
9. What message did the Supreme Court send to the nation regarding segregation in 1954? 10. Explain how the Supreme Court's decision in 1955 caused confusion and delay. Words to Know * Negro, colored: generally accepted terms for African-American in the 1950s. * plaintiff: an individual who brings a lawsuit against a defendant. * segregation: an act of practice of keeping people of groups apart |
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