Separate is Not Equal
The Congress and the Executive are designed to be the policy making institutions in the American system, but those who cannot get satisfaction from them may turn to the Courts. Such is the case with the civil rights movement. Segregation and Jim Crow were a way of life for parts of the country, and those seeking remedies for injustices had a hard time getting change from Congress, especially the Senate.
In the meantime, African American children attended schools far from their homes, passing by "White" schools nearer their homes. This was the situation when the Supreme Court accepted the case of Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. A precedent had already been set in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. Read about that case.
Tutorial: Separate Is Not Equal: Desegregating America's Schools
The Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision actually stemmed from five different cases. The following tutorial discusses these collective efforts challenging segregation in the public schools.
Reading: Civil Rights and the Schools
Read about the cases using these sources. Take notes on the form provided.
What impact did Brown v. the Board of Education have on the civil rights movement? Why is this case significant?
Continue working through the cases listed on the reading guide using the sources provided until you have completed researching all the cases.