Curriculum, Assessment and Policy
Brown v. Board of Education
US Supreme Court Decision
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Brown v. Board of Education is the unanimous US Supreme Court decision of 17 May 1954 holding that state-mandated racial segregation of public schools violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, overturning the separate-but-equal doctrine of Plessy v. Ferguson. The Court found segregated schooling inherently unequal, making the case one of the most consequential rulings in American civil-rights and education history. Its implementation, left by the 1955 follow-up ruling to proceed with all deliberate speed, was slow, and full desegregation required later legislation and enforcement.
Facts
Key ProvisionHeld racial segregation of children in public schools unconstitutional, overturning the separate-but-equal doctrine of Plessy v. Ferguson. 1 Enacted / Adopted YearDecided 17 May 1954; a Supreme Court ruling rather than enacted legislation. Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
School choice policies gained prominence in parts of the US shortly after Brown v. Board required school desegregation, and some voucher schemes were used to help white families avoid newly integrated public schools.
Sources
1. U.S. National Archives, Milestone Documents
Brown v. Board of Education milestone page, opinion conclusionQuote, Brown v. Board of Education milestone page, opinion conclusion
Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.
1. U.S. National Archives, Milestone Documents
Brown v. Board of Education milestone page, decision dateQuote, Brown v. Board of Education milestone page, decision date
On May 17, 1954, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren delivered the unanimous ruling in the landmark civil rights case.
1. U.S. National Archives, Milestone Documents
In Category: Curriculum, Assessment and Policy, Brown v. Board of Education milestone pageQuote, In Category: Curriculum, Assessment and Policy, Brown v. Board of Education milestone page
This page categorizes Brown v. Board of Education as a "Milestone Document" within the National Archives' collection.
Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Plessy v. Ferguson, Plessy v. Ferguson, lead sectionQuote, Associated With: Plessy v. Ferguson, Plessy v. Ferguson, lead section
racial segregation laws did not violate the U.S. Constitution as long as the facilities for each race were equal in quality, a doctrine that came to be known as separate but equal.
Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: School Choice, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_choice, Criticism - Racism section, Brown v. Board linkQuote, Associated With: School Choice, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_choice, Criticism - Racism section, Brown v. Board link
School choice policies have been accused of racism, as they came into prominence shortly after the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision required desegregation of public schools.
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