Brown v. Board of Education

Background

In several cases from Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware, minors of the Negro race sought admission to local public schools that were reserved for white children. They were denied entry under state laws or policies that required or permitted racial separation. Lower courts in most cases denied relief by relying on the old “separate but equal” rule, while a Delaware court ordered immediate admission because the Negro schools there were inferior.

Reasoning

The Court asked whether separating children by race in public schools, even when buildings and other measurable factors appear equal, denies them equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. After reviewing history, social science evidence, and prior cases, the Court concluded that segregation itself harms minority children by generating a sense of inferiority and by impairing educational opportunities. The Court held that in public education the doctrine of “separate but equal” has no place and that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.

Real world impact

The Court’s decision declares that racial segregation in public schools violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection and grants relief to the named plaintiffs and others similarly situated. Because the practical details of ending segregation vary widely, the Court restored the cases to the docket and asked the parties to present further argument about the form and timing of decrees to achieve integration. This means courts, school officials, and parties must now work out how and when to end legally sanctioned school segregation.