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Plessy v. Ferguson
African-american Plessy attempted to sit in an all white railroad car. After refusing to sit in the "black section", he was arrested for violating an 1890 Louisiana statute "separate but equal" railroad accomodations.
Issue: Can the states constitutionally enact different races to use "separate but equal" segregated facilities?
Disposition: Plessy loses -
Mendez v. Westminster
In 1947, five Mexican-Americsn fathers clamied that childern of Mexican descent were victims of unconstitutional discrimination by being forced to attend seperate schools. After it was taken to court, they ruled in favor of Mendez and believed that it ws an unconstitutional denial of equal protection. -
Delgado v. Bastrop I.S.D.
In 1948, the public education system in Texas for Mexican Americans offered segregated campuses with minimal facilities and limited training. Student's parents filed a case against the school district because segregation of their childern without specific state land is violation of the attorney general's opinion. The court decision favored towards Delgado because segregation in Texas was still illegal. -
Desegregation of the Armed Forces
President Harry Truman signed an executive order to establish equality for the treatment and opportunities in the armed services. -
Sweatt v. Painter
Sweatt, the plantiff, was denied admission to UT Law school because he was black. Due to other decided court cases they evenutally admitted him but they put all black students in a separate campus with limited resources. He filed the court case saying that UT is violating the 14th amendment. The supreme court ruled that the 14th amendment's equal protection clause will allow him to attend UT. -
Hernandez v. Texas
Petitioner, Pete Hernandez, was inducted for the murder of Joe Espinosa and was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.They challenged what they knew was "the systematic exclusion of persons of Mexican Origin".
Ultimate effect: The protection of the 14th amendment was ruled to cover any racial,national and ethnic groups of the U.S for which discrimination could be proved. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Several black children attempted admission to publich schools that required or permitted segregation based on race. Plaintiffs (Oliver Brown side) alleged that segregation was unconstitutional of the 14th amendment.
Issue: Is the race-based segregation of children into "separate but equal" public schools constitutional?
Disposition:Judgement for the Plaintiffs. -
Civil Rights acts of 1957
Enacted by President Eisenhower, this act marked the first occasion since Reconstruction that the federal government undertook significant legislative action to protect civil rights. It included a number of important provisions for the protection of voting rights. -
Civil Rights at of 1964
First proposed by Kennedy and signhed by Johnson, this act ended segregation in public palces, banned employment discrimination based off of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Signed by Johnson , brought equality to african-americans. They were able to exercise their vote under the 15th amendment. It enabled the enfranchisement of minority voters and diversifying the electorate and legislative bodies at all levels of American goverment. -
Tinker v. Des Moines
A group of students wore black armbands to school to show their support for a truce in Vietnam. Their principla's punished them by having them suspended. The student's families filed a court case saying that the schools district violated the student's right of expresson under the 1st amendment. The court ruled that student and teacher's constitutional rights are protected in schools as long as it doesn't interfere with the education of others. -
Wisconsin v. Yoder
Mmebers of an Amish religoon withdrew their childern from school after they reached the eighth grade due to religious obligatiions. The childern's school were forcing them to attend, so three familes filed a case saying that school's education interfere with their religious practices ,therefore they school be able to be homeschooled. Eventually the court ruled that in regards to the compulsory attendance laws, Amish members had the right to educate thier childern at home. -
White v. Regester
This case discussed the issues of Texas' voting reapportionment plan. They argued that the 1970 reapportionment plan was not constitutional due to the fact that is was unequally representing ethnic minorites. The court ruled in favor of White. They believed it was a violation of the Equal Protection clause. -
Edgewood I.S.D. v. Kirby
The Edgewood district filed a suit against commissioner of education due to the discrimination against students in poorer school districts. This court case decided states must revise their school funding system to be equitable, in some cases taking from the wealthy districts and giving to property poor districts.
