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Plessy vs Ferguson
Homer Plessy refused to sit in the white section of a railway car. When brought to the court, they ruled in favor of the state’s law, even though it violated the 13th and 14th amendments. Plessy was outraged because he wasn’t 100% black, and his white ancestors could be easily traced. However, because his skin wasn’t white, they said he needed to be sitting in the black section of the railway car. This became a huge deal throughout the southern states. -
NAACP (founded)
The group was formed to end racial lynching and other acts of violence towards African Americans. The group that started it were white people, outraged at the racial tensions that were going on. Their main goal was to gain equal rights for all people, and make sure everyone was included while regarding the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. The organization is still in effect today, and will be until racial issues are solved throughout America… So basically forever. -
Briggs vs Elliot
This case was in North Carolina where schools still required racial segregation. The plaintiff wanted to integrate schools, claiming it wasn’t fair for whites and blacks not to get equal education. Black students had no electricity or bathrooms, let alone a good education. Equal treatment was demanded from transportation to teacher’s salaries. -
Bolling vs Sharpe
When parents tried to enroll their kids into John Phillip Sousa Junior High, they were dismissed because they were black. The school had plenty of openings but chose to open their school as a segregated white school.
The same day that the Brown case was decided was also the same day the Bolling case was. The court decided that segregation alone was unconstitutional, despite how good the level of education was at the school. -
Brown vs Board of Education
There were 5 cases brought to court dealing with racial issues and education. The same decision was made in each case, that segregated schools were “separate”, but each race was still valued the same “but equal”. Black students were being deprived of an equal education, more dangerous routes to/from school/, and black teachers weren’t being paid the same as whites. https://docs.google.com/a/student.brillion.k12.wi.us/document/d/1v9o2ESdtZAsRRUo9YlwUA2Ls3i-GNlK65LaC_S006vo/edit -
10 years later
The Brown vs Board of Education case didn’t become a nation-wide reality until 10 years later. There were events that took place shortly following the case where protests and boycotts broke out. Desegregating schools took longer and was more difficult than what some people imagined. Some schools desegregated peacefully, but in other states acts of violence became a problem. https://docs.google.com/a/student.brillion.k12.wi.us/document/d/1v9o2ESdtZAsRRUo9YlwUA2Ls3i-GNlK65LaC_S006vo/edit -
First Black President
Being the 44th president of the US, Barack Obama made history when he became America’s first black president. This was a HUGE step forward for America because it proved we’ve come a long way on how America as a whole feels differently about integration and equality.
