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Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944
This act was originally known as the G.I. Bill of Rights (Sass, 2016). It was signed by FDR on June 22, 1944. Because of this bill being passed, two-million war veterans attended colleges or universities (Foner & Garraty, 1991). This nearly doubled the college enrollment population. This law was important in equality in education because it provided equal opportunity to every veteran, regardless of their background. It also helped break the tradition that college was only for the wealthy. -
Mendez vs Westminster
Sylvia Mendez, a nine year old Mexican girl, her two brothers, and three cousins went with their aunt to register for school at Westminster in California. School officials did not allow the aunt to register the Mexican girl and her brothers. They were told to register the three Mexican children at a nearby Mexican school. Three years after this occurred, the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles ruled that Mexican children should not be educated in separate facilities from the white children. -
Brown vs Board of Education
On May 17, 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that having separate educational facilities is unconstitutional (Sass, 2016). Brown vs. Board of education was made up of five cases throughout the country. All of these cases dealt with segregating African American children from white children in the schools. This was a huge milestone in the history and journey towards desegregating schools (Sass, 2016). -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama. She refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. She was immediately arrested and fined. This incident helped in the decision of Browder v. Gayle. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against segregated seating on buses. She helped make an impact in the future of education in continuing to fight for desegregation. -
Browder vs Gayle
Aurelia Browder, Susie McDonald, Claudette Colvin, and Mary Louise Smith were all African American women who served as plaintiffs in the Browder vs. Gayle case. Claudette Colvin was a fifteen year old African American student who refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus. As she was being arrested, she screamed that her Constitutional rights were being violated. The court later ruled in favor of desegregating buses. This helped to mold desegregation for the future in education. -
Little Rock 9
On September 4, 1957, a white mob gathered in front of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas to prevent any African American students from entering. The students were able to successfully enter the school with help from police escorts (Staff, 2010). At the end of the school year, Ernest Green became the first African American student to graduate from Central High. -
Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges was the first African American first grader to attend the all white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana (Sass, 2016). She was escorted to class everyday by her mother and U.S. Marshals due to mob violence. She soon became the only student in her class because the parents of the other students withdrew their children and took them to another all white school. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act becomes law in 1964. It ended segregation in public places such as buses and schools as well as banned employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin (Sass, 2016). This law is the most crucial impact in the inequality in education. It shaped equal opportunity for everyone in school and public places. -
The Equality of Educational Opportunity Study
The Equality of Educational Opportunity Study is sometimes referred to as the Coleman Report (Sass, 2016). James S. Coleman was the author of this report. He concluded that African American children benefit from attending integrated schools. This is a huge milestone in education and sets stepping stones for other school districts. -
PARC vs Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) vs Pennsylvania is a case that deals with equal opportunity education for retarded children. It was the first right-to-education suit in the country. The federal court ruled that all students with mental retardation are entitled to a free public education. It also laid the foundation for the establishment of the right to a free public education to all students with disabilities.
