Brown v. Board of Education

The Browns’ case became famous and Thurgood Marshall decided to use it to try to end segregated schools everywhere. He brought the case to the Supreme Court. The court decided to group the Browns’ case with four others. Their case is known as Brown v. Board of Education.

Marshall argued the case before the Supreme Court. He argued that the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution said that states must treat all citizens alike, regardless of race. He said that black children did not receive schooling equal to that given to white children. He also said that black children thought less of themselves because they attended poor schools.

Almost three years after Linda Brown’s family started the case, a final decision was reached. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that school segregation went against the Constitution.

After the ruling, the government made many school districts redraw their borders. Now white and black students would go to school together. This victory was an important step in the fight for civil rights. Many hoped that integrating schools would lead to integrating all of society. But there was still a long struggle ahead.

African American children arrive for class. Segregated schools like this one led to the famous Brown v. Board of Education legal case.