LAD #37 Brown v. Board of Education

Brown v. Board of Education challenged the prior Plessy vs. Ferguson case that stated that separate but equal facilities were constitutional. In Topeka Kansas, a young, black student named Linda Brown was required to walk three miles each day to get to her school, even though there was a school much closer to her home. The closer school was mandated to be for white students only. For Brown, and many like her, this rule was very unfair, given the proximity of the white school to her home—she was prohibited to attend the white school simply because of her skin color. The school board claimed they were just being realistic and suggested she just learn to accept the segregation. Her parents disagreed and argued that it was wrong to segregate their child in this manner. Ultimately the case made it to the Supreme Court where the judges had to determine if it violated the fourteenth amendment or not, as it related to equal rights. The final decision stated that it actually was unconstitutional since it discriminated against the girl solely because of her skin color.

10 years after the victory in Brown v. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed, outlawing discrimination based on race, sex, religion, or other.