By Eliza Robinson

Plessey a one-eighth African American bought a ticket for first class on a train when he boarded the train he was arrested for riding in an all white part of the train.

The case was controversial so much so that it was taken to the supreme court in 1896 in a unanimous vote the court decided that separate facilities based on ethnicity was ethical as long as the facilities are “equal”.

The decision led to what are known as “Jim Crow” laws these laws were legal forms of discrimination and segregation in the south for over 60 years

Plessey

Oliver brown sued the board of education in Topeka, Kansas because his daughter who lived next to an all white school had to walk a mile across train tracks to get to a negro school

Thurgood Marshall argued that the laws were in direct violation with the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment.

The equal protection law states: “The constitutional guarantee that no person or class of persons shall be denied the same protection of the laws that is enjoyed by other persons or other classes in like circumstances in their lives, liberty, property, and pursuit of happiness”

The board argued that the schools were equal

Also that Negros and white just simply should not mix for social reasons

Thurgood Marshall argued segregated school violated the equal protection clause.

The board argued the precedent but equal set by plessy v. ferguson

Thurgood Marshall hosted an experiment that won the judges over.

African American children were brought into the curt room and given a choice to pick one of two dolls the white doll or the brown doll and when every child picked the white doll the point became clear.

The court made their decision and set the precedent on May 17, 1954.

The supreme court decided that separate school by nature are “inherently unequal” and making African American children feel inferior (The doll experiment).

The government works in three branches The brown decision only declared

segregation unequal but the precedent still need to be implemented

Central high school in Little Rock, Arkansas was on of the first schools to integrate blacks and whites into the same schools.

The integration process was to be done gradually to avoid a social uproar so only 9 African American students were selected.

They were known as the “Little Rock Nine”.

Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Jefferson Thomas, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls, Minniejean Brown, Gloria Ray, Thelma Mothershed and Melba Pattillo

The people along with the governor of Arkansas at the time of the integration were to say the least displeased the decision

As a result governor fabus sent the state troopers to block the 9 kids from entering the school.

As a last resort stop desegregation Fabus closed schools in the city for the entire school year 1957-1958.

The government being the hierarchical structure it is allowed the current president at the time Dwight D. Eisenhower to override Fabus’s decisions by sending national guard to escort the children through their school day daily until the worries were gone.

Brown vs. Board of education was a case that overturned a precedent that created racial barriers for over 60 years in America know as Jim Crow laws

These milestones in the civil rights movement were monumental in ending legal segregation in America

People firmly formed a relation to make things equal through this Civil Rights movement and by doing so inspired more Americans and discriminated ethnicities to cause change for equality.

Well look around you! Diverse groups are much more common

group in America.