Brown v. Board of Education
Until the mid-1950s, less than a century ago, African-American childrenfrom certain states were forced to attend different schools from theirwhite counterparts. Segregation pervaded almost every aspect of society,however: blacks used separate washrooms, drinking fountains, and eatingfacilities. In the early 1950s, the NAACP helped to bring several casesbefore the Supreme Court to prove that school segregation in particular washarmful to black children and was a direct violation of the fourteenthamendment to the United States Constitution. Although judges in Kansasruled in favor of the Board of Education initially, the Supreme Courteventually overturned the "separate but equal" laws in the landmarkdecision known as Brown versus Board of Education. If I had been on thepanel of Supreme Court judges in the mid-1950s, when that case was decided,I would have ruled similarly but with further
"The reverberations of segregation, in schools, buses, restaurants, andelsewhere, are still felt in the year 2004. Furthermore, desegregated schools must also hire African-Americanteachers and administrative staff. The courts should demand that teachers and schoolsconform to rigorous standards of racial equality in all areas. Therefore, Iwould ensure that not only would black and white children attend the sameschools, but that they are given equal treatment within those schools. The Brown versus Board of Educationdecision is a great start, as it sets the pace of society through itschildren. This in turnpromotes racism and creates a culture based on the unequal treatment ofpeople of color. Moreover, the curriculum in these schoolshas to reflect the changing attitudes of a racially just society. Although the case focused exclusively on the American public schoolsystem, I would have issued a statement alongside my decision that wouldhave encouraged the NAACP and any other civil rights organization to pursuemore cases regarding segregation. African-American children must be made to feel on par with their whiteclassmates, not as inferior beings. Historyand literature courses, for instance, must incorporate black studies intotheir programs rather than focus only on the cultures and lives of whites. Exposing African-American children to gross inequality at earlyages prepares them to feel like inferior members of society. The only way to truly end racism insociety is to promote people of color to positions of authority so thatchildren have worthy role models. demands to quickly anduniversally end segregation in all aspects of society. Brown versus Board of Educationwas a landmark case, even if it was overdue. Itis one thing to rule segregated schools as unconstitutional and thereforeillegal; it is another to make sure that desegregated schools do notpractice racial discrimination.
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