Education segregation was a festering issue in the face of the American school system in the 20th century. The problem of systemic discrimination prevented children of color from attending public schools with their white peers. Instead, they were forced into specialized schools, even if it meant absurd inconveniences in getting to these facilities, not to mention subpar education. One such case involved the Browns, an African American family from Topeka, Kansas. The famous Brown v Board of Education (1954) forever changed the education system in the United States.
A then-current issue with segregation drove an 8-year-old Linda Brown and her sister, two little African American girls, to venture on a Tolkienesque journey each day to get to their school, even though a far more accessible facility was just a few blocks away from their house. This unreasonable occupation was because the nearby school only admitted white students. In search of a solution to this problem, the girls’ father, Oliver Brown, tried to enroll his children in this school but was rejected by the principal. Unable to fight the injustice on his own, Brown went to NAACP, or the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and asked for help.
Historians find Brown’s lawsuit to be a reversal of Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896). According to Martin and Brooks (2020), the initial case from 1896 “upheld the constitutionality of segregation based upon race for public facilities, so long as “separate but equal” facilities were in place” (p. 1). Conversely, Brown v Board found this rhetoric unconstitutional and harmful to children of color. Separating children based solely on their race instilled a persisting sense of inferiority, reinforcing prejudices and discrimination toward an already marginalized community. The psychological advancements largely influenced the arguments of the Brown case in the study of racism (Martin & Brooks, 2020). One study showed segregation contributed to the decrease of self-esteem in black children due to a sense of inferiority.
The Brown v. Board case had an immense influence on the American education system. Martin and Brooks (2020) state that “prior to the Brown decision, previous court decisions lay bare the national, institutional, and judicial influence of slavery on every aspect of American society, justifying racism at every turn” (p. 2). Although it did not extinguish racism and white supremacy across the nation, the decision gave many African Americans hope for equality and liberation. According to the literature, “The Brown court ultimately determined that the doctrine of separate but equal had no place in American education” (Martin & Brooks, 2020, p. 4). However, the small victory did not end the war, as desegregation only took place in instances where sufficient external force was applied. The effects of school segregation echo, as the reformation of separatist practices took decades and still persists. Nonetheless, for showing the possibility of achieving a just and reasonable conclusion, Brown v Board of Education contributed massively to the human rights activism movements.
In conclusion, Brown v Board of Education was a prominent episode in the history of American Education. The events of 1954 showed that institutional racism and school segregation could be fought against and defeated legally. Although this lawsuit did not end racism in a single blow, it served as a beacon of hope to marginalized African Americans. The liberal ideal of Brown’s example has increased the self-esteem of Black Americans and reduced racism in the nation’s educational institutions.
Reference
Martin, J. L., & Brooks, J. N. (2020). Turning white: Co-opting a profession through the myth of progress, an intersectional historical perspective of “Brown v. Board of Education”. Educational Considerations, 45(2).