FamousAmericanTrials/LawyerProject

GivetheWho,What,Where,When,andHowofyourtrial200words
OliverBrownbecameenragedwhenhischildhadbeendeniedaccesstoTopekaswhiteschool.
Topekasschoolboardjustifiedthechildsrejectionunderthedoctrineofseparatebutequalnamed
inPlessyvsFergusoncaseof1896.BrownvsBoardofEducationcameinfrontoftheSupremeCourt
in1954whenBrowncombinedwith12otherparentswhosechildrenfaceddiscrimination.Brownwas
backedupbytheNationalAssociationfortheAdvancementofColoredPeople(NAACP)whobelieved
segregationofstudentsinpublicschoolsviolatedtheEqualProtectionClause.Theschoolboardof
Topekadefendedthemselfunderthemunicipallawthatpermitted(butdidnotrequire)racial
separationofschools.TheNAACPLegalDefenseandEducationFundalongwithThurgoodMarshall
defendedBrownbeforethecourt.

Givebackgroundinfoontheleadattorney:ThurgoodMarshalltookthecaseup.
Whydidhe/shetakethecase?
ThurgoodMarshallwasalongtimeadvocateforcivilrights.Hehadpreviouslytakenupcases
thatattackedJimCrowLaws,racialpolicies,andsegregation.Marshallhimselfhadbeenrejectedfrom
lawschoolbecauseofracialdiscriminationpolicies.Takingmattersintohisownhands,hedefended
casesinordertoammendtheeducationsystem.
Whowashe/shebeforethetrial?
ThurgoodMarshallwastheheadlawyerincasessuchas

Murrayv.Maryland
and
Missouriex

relGainesv.Canada
,andMcLarinv.OklahomaBoardofRegentsofHigherEducation.Hewasawell
knownadvocateforequality.
Whowashe/sheafterthetrial?
ThurgoodMarshallssuccessintheBrownv.BoardofEducationtrialledhimtobeing

appointedasanassociatejusticeintheUSSupremeCourtin1967.ColoredpeoplelookedtoMarshall
forhelpincourtandhebecamewellknownandhighlyappraisedforfightingabattlesooldtowin
andrenewthelaw.


Howbigofagalawasthiscaseinitsowntimeperiod?50words
BrownvsBoardofEducationwasahugecontroversialcaseatthetime.In1954whencasewastried,
racialconflictrippledthroughoutthenation.Thoughacasebetweenonlythetwopartiesof13
TopekaparentsandtheBoardofEducation,civiliansthroughoutthecountrytookthematter
personally.BrownvsBoardofEducationledatrialthatwouldredefinenotonlyKansaslaw,butpaved
wayforastepintherightdirectiontowardscivilrightsbyoverturningthelawofseparatebutequal
inPlessyvsFerguson.
Wereanylawscreatedorchangedduetothiscase?50words
ThroughBrownvsBoardofEducation,thedecisionmadeinPlessyvsFerguson(1896)separatebut
equalwasoverturned.WarrenCourtsdecisionstatedthat
"separateeducationalfacilitiesare
inherentlyunequal."Dejure(political/legal)racialsegregationwasruledtoviolatetheEqual
ProtectionClauseoftheFourteenthAmendment.
WhataffectdidtheoutcomeofthiscasehaveonAmericansociety?150words
TheoutcomeofBrownvsBoardofEducationwasamilestoneinAmericansociety.Manyquietly
rumbledaboutsegregationineducationfacilities,butnopersonhadthecouragetogoagainstthe
law.TheTopekaparentsthattriedincourtbroughtsegregationdirectlytothecourtandchangedall
ofAmericaintheirstride.Redefiningthesouthandabolishingseparatebutequal,Brownand
BrownIIsetaplanforthecourtstodesegregateschools.Thisplanalsoinvigorateddebateand
controversyofthevalidilityofscientificracism.DuringthetrialofBrownvsBoardofEducation,
scientificevidencewasbroughtforththatdesegregationwasharmfultowhitechildrenbutquickly
rejectedbytheSupremecourt.Aftertherulingofthiscase,enragedsoutherners,unwillingto
change,resisteddesegregation.In1963,Alabamagovernor,GeorgeWallaceblockedthedoorstothe
UniversityofAlabamatopreventtheenrollmentoftwocoloredstudents.Thecasewassceneasa
majorvictoryforthecivilrightsmovement.