Linda Brown: Brown V. Board of Education

Imagine going to an all white school, being the only black person in the room ,and being humiliated in front of your whole class because of your color. This was the case for Linda Brown. On May 17, 1954, in Topeka, Kansas, Brown vs.

Board of Education came into order. Oliver Brown, the father of Linda Brown, a eight year old African American girl issued a lawsuit against the court because many black children were being discriminated because of their color. Brown vs. Board of Education led to the end of segregation due to the fact that it violated the Fourteenth Amendment, threatened the lives of many innocent Black children and led to the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement.

The proper definition of having civil rights is “ the right of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.” During the 1950s and 60’s African Americans were fighting to gain their rights as a human being . Because of the Civil War, slavery was abolished but did not help end racism and discrimination. Today, the Civil Rights Movement protects every rights, regardless of how they look. Despite the abolition of slavery for African Americans, racial segregation known as Jim Crow arose in the South.

One person that was greatly impacted by the Civil Rights Movement was Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. At a young age, Martin Luther King Jr. was very passionate about equality and human rights for African Americans. During his early life, Martin Luther King Jr. was an activist who was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement. As a highly educated and respected person of color, he wanted to have an impact on the American society. His strong belief in nonviolence helps set the tone of the Civil Rights Movement. By reading Martin Luther Kings, “I Have a Dream” speech, one might realize that his speech is about the economic rights and the end to racism and discrimination in the world..

Sitting on a bus protesting for her own freedom. Yes, this is the woman named Rosa Parks. The Civil Rights Movement all started with this woman. Rosa Parks, an African American women, was sitting in an white males seat and refused to move back to the back of the bus, where the black seating was while lead to her getting arrested. Her stubbornness of not moving marked the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa Parks’ defiance helped spark the successful nationwide efforts to end racism and discrimination of public facilities. “You must never be fearful about what you are doing when its right” were the words of Rosa Parks. No matter what happened to Rosa Parks, she stood up for what she believed in. The Civil Rights Movement all started because Rosa Parks used her voice to speak up for her human dignity as a person.

Remember the time where Brown v. Board of Education violated the Fourteenth Amendment? Probably not. The real question is, what is the Fourteenth Amendment? The Fourteenth Amendment states , “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws” (US Const. amend. XII, sec. 1). The Brown V. Board of Education rejected the “separate but equal” doctrine in the Plessy v. Ferguson case. On May 18, 1896, Plessy v. Ferguson case took place. Just like Rosa Parks, Plessy sat in a white section on a train. Because of what Plessy did, he was arrested and put on trial. In Plessy’s argument, he argued that the seats on the train violated the Fourteenth Amendment. Plessy didn't want to give up and he wanted to fight for his rights even tho he was found found guilty.

Even tho children weren't physically threatened by Brown v. Board, they were tho affected mentally. Children took part of the segregation on Brown v. Board of Education. One of the main reasons why Brown v. Board of Education started was because the involvement of children’s education. The children were the targets in this case because the black children were so used to being separated from the whites whereas, the whites were always together as one. When someone spoke up, things changed but only for a while. African American children wanted equal protection under the laws as promised by the Fourteenth Amendment but were not given that option. Today children of all color and race attend the same school. Whether it is a boarding school or a public school. People of all races should be able to enjoy equality under the law in the United States. This particular case changed history for young students all around the world. This case contributed to a huge part of history and that’s because if it wasn’t for Brown v. Board, children would be going to two different schools of different color, and there would be discrimination and segregation. Although Mr. Brown, the father of Linda Brown was not the first African American to try to enroll his child in an all-white school, but his case was the most impactful in US History. His case really opened the eyes of the jury to see that separation of the school wasn’t helping the children learn and was inconvenient for some of the children. People learn from each other every day and putting the children together in the same schools helped the children learn about different lives some children have to live. Students were able to learn from each other and learn different things about their cultures.

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