Segregation In Public Schools: Plessy Vs. Ferguson
Segregation in public schools was made legal by Plessy v. Ferguson. This "separate but equal" situation soon became an issue in the mid-1900s. Parents brought cases of segregation of their children to courts and fought for their child's rights. One case in particular stood out. Olive Brown requested access for his child, Linda, to attend school five blocks away from their home in Topeka, Kansas.
Once the case was seen at teh Supreme Court, the rulings went back and forth for a while. It seemed that the court was half and half on the issue at hand. Eventually, on May 17, 1954, the Court decided that the denial of Linda Brown from her neighborhood school violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment and was therefore unconstitutional.
Once the case was seen at teh Supreme Court, the rulings went back and forth for a while. It seemed that the court was half and half on the issue at hand. Eventually, on May 17, 1954, the Court decided that the denial of Linda Brown from her neighborhood school violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment and was therefore unconstitutional.