INHERENTLY UNEQUAL

BROWN VS BOARD OF EDUCATION OF TOPEKA

• This took place on December 1952
• On May 17, 1954 was decided that De Jure school segregation was unconstitutional

Justices said segregated schools are inherently unequal.

Sociologist Kenneth B. Clark did studies with children and dolls. African American and white children played with white dolls. They thought the white doll was "nice" and the black doll was "bad"

Attorney Thurgood Marshall convinced justices that segregated schools contribute to imposing a "badge of inferiority" on African Americans. Marshall argued that segregation itself made the schools unequal.

Supreme Court ruling of Brown vs Board of Education overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine. That doctrine was established more than 50yrs earlier in the Plessy vs Ferguson

Overturning Plessy was only the first step. Then started striking down laws that segregated public schools. Then justices had to decide what school districts would be required to accept this ruling

Took 1 yr for Supreme Court to issue 2nd decision in Brown ll. Justices ordered the schools to stop practicing segregation by race.

Topeka board of education implemented desegregation right away.
Southern school districts with were reluctant to admit African Americans students, were slow to desegregate their school