progress of education

• Brown v Board of Education - 1954
• Brown vs Topeka case: (1957)

  • Linda Brown, a 7 yr old in Topeka, Kansas, had to walk six blocks to catch the black school bus, when there was a school — a white school — seven blocks from her home.
  • Black parents not pleased and took local education authority to court.
  • NAACP combined five cases that had failed to argue against school desegregation, and took them to the Supreme Court.
  • Argued that even with equal provision and facilities, being segregated from white students made black children feel inferior.
  • Argued that 'separate but equal' therefore broke the 14th Amendment.
• Brown v Topeka judges:

  • During the case, a pro-segregation judge died
  • he was replaced by anti-segregation judge called Earl Warren who became Chief Justice, meaning he led the Supreme Court.
• Verdict of Brown v. Topeka:

  • On 17th May 1954, the Supreme Court said schools ruled segregated education was unconstitutional and schools were told to desegregate.
  • However, it didn’t say when they had to do this by, so schools could avoid desegregating.

  Brown II:

  • Second case in May 1955 gave vague order of schools to desegregate "with all deliberate speed".
  • But still didn't set a deadline.
• Significance of Brown v Topeka:

  • Brown raised awareness and started the legal battle for Civil Rights.
  • By 1957, 723 school districts had desegregated, including Southern border states.
  • Reversal of Plessy sparked more desegregation in other facilities.
  • Beginning of the end of 'separate but equal'
  • Showed how national media coverage was important in raising awareness of the civil rights movement.
• Limitations to Brown v Topeka:

  • Deep South politicians called for ‘massive resistance’ and threatened any black pupils and supporters who attended desegregated schools. Senator in Virginia promised to close schools rather than desegregate.
  • White Citizens Council (WCC) created and fighting for segregation. 1955, 60,000 white people joined in Mississippi to stop desegregation
  • KKK membership grew and there were protests outside schools.
  • 11 States signed Southern Manifesto, rejecting Brown ruling, argued for segregation.
  • Many areas only partially desegregated their schools or very slowly.
• How did black people feel about aftermath of Brown v Topeka:

  • Many blacks felt worse off afterwards because of the violence and good black schools closing.
  • Black students faced threats and bullying.
  • Black teachers either lost their jobs or faced harassment from white pupils.
• Southern Manifesto in 1956 to prevent the desegregation of schools:


  • 100 congress people representing the South strengthened their resistance to desegregation.
  • They offered their support to any state that resisted change in schools.
  • This gave White Citizens’ Councils and state governments the feeling that their resistance was supported by the important politicians in the South.
• Dixiecrats:


  • Southern Democrat politicians who strongly believed in segregation, and the rights of states to make their own laws.
  • Because there were so many of them in Congress, they constantly blocked any laws that would give black Americans more rights.
  • Many local politicians (governors, mayors etc.) also supported segregation. There were no black judges or juries. This meant that it was very difficult for black people to get fair treatment or justice.
• Little Rock (1957)

  In 1957, 25 black students were due to start at the newly-segregated Little Rock High School in Arkansas
• Because of threats from white people, only were willing to go-known as the Uttle Rock Nine
• What happened at Little Rock


  • The governor of Arkansas, Orval Faubus, was against desegregation
  • He sent in 250 state troops to stop the black students from going into the school
  • The NAACP arranged for the Little Rock Nine to arrive together the next day
  • When one of the 9 (Elizabeth Eckford) accidentally turned up alone, the state troopers refused to protect her from the angry mob
  • Over 250 reporters were there and the Uttle Rock Nine became famous
• What did the government do?


  • Privately, President Eisenhower thought that enforced integration was a bad idea
  • However, the bad publicity forced him to do something
  • He forced Faubus to remove his troops, but there were riots at the school
  • Eisenhower signed a Presidential Order (which did not need approval from Congress) to send over 1000 troops to Little Rock
  • These troops were under federal government) control, not Faubus'
  • This was so controversial that he went on TV to explain himself
• What happened next?

  1. The government troops stayed until the end of term to protect the black students

  2. However, black students continued to receive threats

  3. The following school year (1958-9), Faubus closed every school in Little Rock in order to stop integration from happening

  4. Because Little Rock was publicised across the world, the government became more concerned about the image of the USA abroad