The struggle for equal education

Brown V Topeka - 1954

1952,20 US states had segregated public schools.
Linda Brown had to walk 20 blocks to her school in Topeka, Kansas,even though there was a school for whites just a few blocks from her home.
1952,her father Oliver Brown, with the help of the NAACP took the Board of Education to court.
After losing the case in the state courts,the NAACP took the case to the Supreme Court.
May 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in public schools went againt the US constitution.
However the Supreme Court had no power to impose its decision and many southern states continued to ignore the ruling.

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September 1957, 9 African-American students led by Elizabeth Eckford attempted to enter the white only Central High School in Little Rock.
The Governer of Arkansas, Orval Faubus,surrounded the school with National Guardsmen to prevent the students from entering.
Presdient Eisenhower responded by sending 1000 federal troops of the 101st Airbourne Division to protect the student for the rest of the school year.
8/9 students graduated at the end of the year.
Little Rock is important because it shows that the President could and would enforce court orders with federal troops and it brought publicity to the injustices of segregation.
However, by 1964, fewer than 2% of African-American children attended multi- racial school in the southern states

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June 1962 the Supreme Court upheld a federal court decision to force Mississippi University to accept the black student James Meredith.
When Meredith arrived to register for admission he was prevented from doing so by the Governer of Mississippi.
Riots broke out and President Kennedy sent in 2000 troops to restore order.
300 soliders had to remain on the uni campus to protect Meredith until he graduated with his degree 3 years later

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