ing their opinion in the law had greatly increased. By 1877, there were more black children in the public school system than white children. This new wave of political participation and the decline of racism allowed African Americans to receive funds from the government and provide themselves with a better education. "As long as the state funding of Alabama's black belt remained nearly equal between the races, or even if the school fun was divided according to the poll tax and real estate taxed paid by the two races, black communities, given their quest for education, could continue to foster the expansion and improvement of public schools" (Tozer, 157). However, as the years passed and the country's population expanded, the blacks were driven out of power and the new state constitution deprived communities of their funds for public schools. The advancement they were experiencing came to a standstill. Now that white leaders had decided the black students did not deserve as much money as the whites, the enrollment of black children dramatically decreased.
             Eventually, in 1896, the Plessy v Ferguson case declared the "separate but equal" rule to segregate schools, but keep resources equal regardless of race. This was quickly defeated as blacks began receiving an unfair lack of education. Although they were separate, schools were not equal: black teachers received less pay, black text books were out of date, and black school buildings failed to meet health and safety codes. Some balck students felt their schools and therefore themselves were inferior to the white students because white schools had much better resources and facilities. The Plessy decision was finally overturned in 1954 with the Brown v. Board of Education case.
             The Brown decision declared segregation based on race unconstitutional. Now, black students were entering all white schools with the hope that they would receive a better education....