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The Poll Tax
The Legislature amended the constitution, subjecting anyone who wanted to vote to an annual poll tax of $1.50 to $1.75. Before the constitution was amended a poll tax of $1 was optional, not a requirement, and it was used to fund public schools. The new poll tax was a requirement and now high enough to discourage people from voting. It effected African-Americans, Tejanos, and poor whites the most. -
Banned From Voting
Texas Legislature passed what was known as the "White Primaries", which prohibited blacks from voting in Democratic primaries all together. As Texas was a Democratic state, this effectively removed the black votes from Texas. -
White Primaries Overturned
Nixon v. Herndon was taken to the Supreme Court and the 1923 law was overturned as unconstitutional as it violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. At this time the overturning of the law was based on state law and not the policies of individual political parties. -
Banned From Voting Again
In response to the Nixon v. Herndon ruling, Texas Legislation passed a new law allowing the executive committee of each state party to decided who could vote in its own primary. This effectively kept the "White Primaries" in action. -
White Primaries Overturned Again
Nixon v. Condon went for round two fighting the "White Primaries" and again won on the same grounds, that they violated the 14th Amendments "equal protection" clause. The Supreme Court struck down the statute and the executive committee resolution banning African American participation in the Democratic primary. -
The Democratic Party Wins
After losing Nixon v. Condon, the Democratic Party of Texas state convention adopted a rule stating that African Americans could not vote in primary elections. In Grovey v. Townsend, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Democratic Party on the basis the it was a private entity and controlled the membership qualifications. -
The Final Win
After losing Grovey v. Townsend, the NAACP came back with Smith v. Allwright. With eight justices and several new Supreme Court members, Govey v. Townsend was overturned as several state laws combined made voting an integral part of the electoral process and to bar a race from voting was unconstitutional. The "White Primaries" were officially over. -
UT Medical Branch Desegregates Medicine
Five years before Brown v. BoE, Herman A. Barnett became the first African American to enroll at University of Texas Medical Branch. After being accepted at an all-black medical school at Howard University, he followed the encouragement of the NAACP and enrolled in an all-white school. His enrollment was scandalous but successful. In fear of a lawsuit and upsetting segregation laws, UTMB admitted Barnett under the lie that he would transfer to TSU once medical classes were available. -
UT Law Integrates
Sweatt was an African American who sought out admission to UT Law school with the backing of the NAACP. Their argument was that the blacks only law school was insufficient and unable to provide opportunities that UT could offer. In May 1946, Sweatt filed case against Painter, the university president. It took until 1950 for the court to rule that under the "equal protection clause" that Sweatt must be admitted to the university based on the fact that there was no "separate but equal" facility. -
Mansfield ISD Fight Integration
Brown v. BoE was a turning point in public education. The Supreme Court ruled in 1954 that there was not place for segregation in public education. Texas did not integrate. Three students went to the NAACP to file suit is Jackson v. Rawdon where the 5th circuit ruled in favor of the students and the state ordered Mansfield ISD to integrate. While the school agreed, the residence protested and hung 3 black student in effigy. The Governor dispatched the Texas Rangers to uphold segregation. -
The Poll Tax Is Repealed
The Texas Senate had tried to repeal the poll tax in both 1949 and 1963 and failed both times. Even with the 24th Amendment ending the poll tax in 1964, Texas did not comply. Finally in 1966, a "resolution" was approved with 659,604 in favor of removing the poll tax in Texas and 466,119 against. The Supreme Court declared "wealth of fee paying has...no relation to voting qualifications; the right to vote is too precious, too fundamental to be so burdened or conditioned." -
TEA to Desegregate Public Schools
In Aug, the Justice Dept filed suit against the state of Texas and 26 school districts who had failed integrate schools. They ordered that the schools involved adopt and implement plans to have the schools integrated before the start of the 1970-71 school year as the current segregated system of school violated the 14th Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.