CIVIL RIGHTS SUPREME COURT CASES
By: Danika, Destiny, Kate, and Rachel
PLESSY VS FERGUSON
SEGREGATION IN THE 1890'S
I. African Americans had more rights than they had previously, however, there were a
lot of roadblocks for them.
A. African Americans could not marry white people if they were 1/8 or more
black.
B. Blacks and White were not allowed to play games together, especially board
games.
C. Public schools must be segregated completely.
II. Most importantly, railroads carrying passengers must be segregated between Black
and White. There could be separate train cars that are labeled, or one car could be
separated by partitions.
THE TRAIN PASSENGER
I. Homer Plessy, a Louisiana citizen, refused to sit in a Jim Crow train car that was
segregated two years before.
II. Judge John H. Ferguson of the Criminal Court for New Orleans sided with the law
and Plessy declared his 13th and 14th amendments were violated.
A. The case moved to the Supreme Court after Plessy made known that his rights
were violated.
B. The Supreme Court vote resulted in 7-1, where the law was being upheld.
C. They ruled that the Jim Crow state laws "implies merely a legal distinction
between whites and blacks" and it did not violate the 13th and 14th amendments.
PLESSY VS FERGUSON VIDEO AND PICTURES
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NwNrnYJE36k
IMPACT ON THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Though Plessy vs Ferguson case was a setback for minorities and their rights by
making segregation legal, it was a major contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. It
practically started the movement. Without the court's decision about Plessy, there
would be no segregation to fight against. There would be no segregation to eventually
end.
IMPACT ON AMERICAN SOCIETY
Plessy vs Ferguson changed American society. Although it took about 50-65 years to
realize the importance of equality, this case made a common goal for everyone to unite
against. It made American society more aware of the meaning of equality. Plessy vs
Ferguson was the first to show that even though both races get a train car, it doesn't
mean they're equal.
BROWN VS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
DETAILS ON THE CASE
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In 1954 Oliver Brown claimed that Topeka Kansas school board denied his son
admission to any of Topeka white schools. After the Plessy Doctrine was made,
many schools switch to only whites or only colors but Brown argued this segregation
violated the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th amendment.
➤
The 14th amendment states "no state shall make or enforce any law which shall deny
any person with in its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"
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Thurgood Marshall, a black man in the NAACP, was the chief counsel for the
plaintiffs(Oliver Brown) and won the case to stop racial segregation.
➤
Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote the unanimous decision that racial segregation for
children in public schools violated the equal protection clause in the 14th
amendment.
IMPACT ON CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
➤
Many psychological studies showed that colored girls in segregated schools have low
self esteem, the Court concluded that separating children on the basis of race creates
dangerous inferiority complexes that may adversely affect black children's ability to
learn.
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They decided at least in schools Plessy vs. Ferguson was no longer relevant.
➤
This case expanded rights for colored children to get a real education. The courts
made it so education is a right that must be afforded to both colors and whites.
IMPACT ON AMERICAN SOCIETY
➤
The courts were expecting disagreement from the southern states about the decision
to start desegregation so the justices handed down a plan for how it was to proceed.
➤
It took many years for all segregated school systems to start integration or
desegregation.
➤
Brown and Brown II was able to get the process underway.
Extra info
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This case was known as one of the greatest Supreme Court decisions of the 20th
century.
➤
One of the big things was the phrase "separate but equal" but the courts made a
unanimous decision that it is "separate but not equal".
PBS VIDEO.
➤
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTGHLdr-iak
LOVING VS. VIRGINIA
I. FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE LAW
A. On July 11,1958 at 2 am, Sheriff R Garnett Brooks asked Richard Loving and
Mildred Jeter, "What are you doing in bed with this woman?"
➤
Richard was of Irish and English decent
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Mildred was of African American and Native American decent
B. Mildred responded, "I am his wife."
C. They were both arrested for violating Virginia's Racial Integrity Act
➤
They were both released within a couple days
D. The couple pled guilty and they had a choice to either leave Virginia for 25 years or
go to prison. They left and spent the next 9 years banned from Virginia.
II. FIRST ATTEMPT AT JUSTICE
A. After almost a year of waiting for a response to reverse the ruling by the original
judge. Judge Bazile stated, "Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow,
Malay, and red and placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference
with his arrangement there would be no cause for such arrangement. The fact that
he separated the races show that he did no intend for races to mix."
The Loving's were still living together in Virginia at this time.
III. SECOND ATTEMPT AT JUSTICE
A. Virginia vs. Loving made its way to the Supreme Court on April 10, 1967
B. The Supreme Court ruled on June 12, 1967 that laws banning interracial marriage
were deemed unconstitutional overturning them in 16 states
IMPACT ON THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Virginia vs. Loving impact on the Civil Rights Movement was it
was a step forward in the fight for equality. It gave everyone the
opportunity to marry whoever they want no matter what race they
were.
IMPACT ON AMERICAN SOCIETY
Loving vs. Virginia impact on American society was that anyone could
love who they want without worrying about what race they were. It also
had an impact on the fight for gay marriage. A lot of the same arguments
that were used over 50 years ago to get interracial marriage legal were
used to get gay marriage legal.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=33g-ZHBQdNU
BAKKE VS. CALIFORNIA
DETAILS OF THE CASE
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The case occurred in 1977-78.
➤
Allan Bakke, a white man, was denied admission twice to the University of California even though he
said that his GPA and grades were higher than other individuals in a minority group at the school.
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The minority group consisted of African Americans, Native Americans, and other non-Caucasian
students.
➤
Bakke claimed that the school was unfair in that it reserved sixteen spots out of a hundred for people
of certain racial origin and said that this system violated The Civil Rights Act and the Fourteenth
Amendment.
➤
After suing the university and taking the case to the California Supreme Court, the case was reviewed
by Supreme Court.
➤
The Court ruled for Bakke and ordered that the University of California abolish their racial quotas
and consider grades and test scores in admitting new students, along with race.
IMPACT ON THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
➤
The Supreme Court concluded that the school's racial quotas (the spots reserved for
non-Caucasian students) were unconstitutional. The quotas were banned.
➤
However, the Court also ruled that "affirmative action"(a program/effort to aid
African Americans and other races get an education and get jobs) was allowed. This
provided an opportunity for those races.
➤
This case addressed the issue of "reverse discrimination", and partially solved this
problem by asking the university to admit Allan Bakke and get rid of their racial
quotas. This was a step to securing racial equality for everyone.
IMPACT ON AMERICAN SOCIETY
➤
Bakke v. California was an important case for the civil rights movement and in
American history.
➤
Society reacted to this case in different ways. They had opposing opinions on what
should be done. The public was notified of that university's policy and began to form
opinions.
➤
This case showed that there was still some discrimination between races.
MORE... EXTRA FACTS
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The location of the university Bakke applied to is in Davis, California.
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The Supreme Court's ruling was very spilt up-six different opinions were proposed.
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Many related cases occurred after this one, including Grutter v. Bollinger.
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Before applying to medical school, Bakke was involved in the Vietnam War.
MORE...
WORKS CITED
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http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_brown.html
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http://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/historybrown-v-board-education-re-enactment
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http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/plessy-v-ferguson
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http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/1-segregated/jim-crow.html
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http://www.history.com/news/mildred-and-richard-the-love-story-that-changedamerica