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Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483
Linda Brown was an African American girl who was denied entrance into a white school. Her father, along with thirteen other parents of African American children, sued the Topeka School Board, alleging that segregation deprived their children of equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. They lost in district court, but appealed their case to the Supreme Court. -
Brown v. Board continued...
The Supreme Court consolidated Brown with five other cases and heard the argument. The plaintiffs, represented by the NAACP, argued that segregated schools made the African American children feel inferior to their white peers, therefore violating their Equal Protection rights under the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court unanimously agreed, reasoning that even if the schools were equal, the separation itself was a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. -
Brown . Board Ruling
Justice Warren, new to the Supreme Court, ruled that, “We conclude that in the field of public education, the doctrine of separate but equal has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” (“History - Brown v. Board of Education Re-enactment”) -
Brown v. Board - New York Tims
This is the article was published on May 18, 1954 in the New York Times after the ruling came down in Brown v. Board.
New York Times (Lewis, 2015) -
Brown v. Board Impact
This case began the process of desegregating schools across the nation. It eradicated Plessy v. Ferguson, the legal foundation of segregation for years. Ultimately, it paved the way for African Americans and all other minorities to be afforded equal educational opportunities protected by the Constitution. The court also ordered the attorney generals of all states that permitted segregation in schools to submit plans outlining how they would desegregate schools in their state. -
The Little Rock 9
Although Brown v. Board was supposed to desegregate schools, this wasn't the case in the south. In fact, it took President Dwight Eisenhower, the U.S. Army, and nine courageous students' efforts to take the first step toward desegregation in the schools in Arkansas. Learn about their story in the video below.
Little Rock 9 -
Bilingual Education Act of 1968
The Bilingual Education Act was the first federal piece of legislation that addressed the needs of limited English speaking students. Senator Ralph Yarborough of Texas initiated the act which provided funds for bilingual program development, implementation, staffing, training, and maintenance in public schools. However, the Act did not provide school systems with clear guidelines regarding the extent and type of programs and services that were to be provided. ("Bilingual Education Act of 1968") -
Title IX of th Education Amendments of 1972
Title IX is a powerful law that protects individuals from discrimination based on sex. The law applies to all educational programs that receive federal funding, and to all aspects of a school's educational system. Title IX states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” (Banks & Banks, pg. 83) -
Title IX Impact
The is a significant event in multicultural education because it was the first federal mandate aimed to ensure women received the same educational opportunities as men. It guaranteed equal opportunities to higher education for women, equal access to career education classes (shop class), protected pregnant students from being treated unfairly, ensured equal access to athletics, and required safeguards from gender stereotypes in the curriculum, educational materials, etc. -
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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states, “no otherwise qualified handicapped individual shall, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance” (Banks & Banks, pg. 225) It's an anti-discrimination, civil rights statute that requires the needs of students with disabilities to be met as adequately as the needs of the non-disabled. -
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Impact
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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Continued...
To be protected by 504, a student must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; or have a record of such an impairment; or be regarded as having such an impairment. (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) -
The Bilingual Education Act Impact
In Lau v. Nichols, the Supreme Court ruled that California schools failed to provide English instruction to Chinese students. This denied them the opportunity to participate in the public education program. The Bilingual Education Act was amended to clarify program goals, more clearly define bilingual education programs, help establish regional support centers, and provide funding for efforts to develop the programs. This amended act is now the basis of bilingual education. -
Individuals with Disabilities Act Eligibility
A student must have a disability and, because of that disability, need special education to make progress in school. IDEA covers students who have autism, deaf-blindness, emotional disturbances, hearing impairments, intellectual disabilities, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairments, other health impairments, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment. (Lee) -
Individuals with Disabilities Act
The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) was fist passed as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975. It is a four-part law that ensures that all children with disabilities are entitled to a free and appropriate public education to meet their needs and prepare them for further education, employment and independent living. It provides financial support for state and local school districts to ensure these needs are met. -
IDEA Impact
“IDEA helps students with disabilities attend schools in their own neighborhoods—schools that may not have been open to them previously. More students with disabilities are learning in classes with their peers, instead of studying in separate buildings or classrooms. Moreover, early intervention programs and services are provided to more than 333,982 eligible infants and toddlers...while about 6.6 million children and youths received special education…in fall, 2012” (Banks & Banks, pg. 211) -
Individuals with Disabilities Part B
Part B lays out the educational guidelines for school children ages 3-21. It ensures students are entitled to evaluations for disability and an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) if a disability is discovered. It ensures students with a disability will be educated in the least restrictive environment with nondisabled peers as much as possible. It also ensures parents and students have a voice in the process of developing the IEP, granting them due process rights.
