Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)
The named plaintiff in this case was Oliver Brown, however, this case involved a total of 13 plaintiffs against the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas—first heard by the Kansas District Court. When appealed to the United States Supreme Court in 1954, Brown v. Board of Education (1954) was presented as five class action lawsuits against discrimination in education. With the support of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), this case was filed to contest policy which supported discrimination through the segregation of public schools and in support of civil rights (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, 2015). More specifically, the case was filed in response to the refusal of admission to 20 children into schools which were designated for Caucasian children only—a practice which deprived the former of an equal education.
Summary…show more content… The plaintiffs argued that segregation denied African American students equal protection of the law by depriving them of the benefits and educational opportunities offered in an integrated school environment. They sought education reformation in support of racially integrated education as they argued that segregation does not afford equal opportunities and is inherently unequal. Opposing counsel contended that as per legal precedence established by Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896), segregation was a constitutionally supported policy. Additionally, the defendants rebutted that accommodations—to include buildings, teacher qualifications, and curricula—were equitably provided. The plaintiffs reiterated fault in the doctrine of “separate but equal” by reasoning that the practice of segregated education was detrimental to African American