Brown v. Board of Education

For many years, Black and white children had to go to separate schools in parts of America. In 1954, the Supreme Court made an important decision. In the case called Brown v. Board of Education, the court said that separate schools were not equal. This was a big step forward for civil rights.

Separate and Unequal

Under segregation, Black students and white students went to different schools. The schools for Black children often had fewer books and supplies. A man named Oliver Brown wanted his daughter Linda to go to a nearby white school. When she was turned away, he took the case to court.

The Court's Decision

The case went all the way to the Supreme Court. Lawyer Thurgood Marshall argued that separate schools could never be truly equal. The court agreed and ruled that school segregation was against the law. This decision helped start the end of segregation in America.

Fun Facts

• Thurgood Marshall, who argued the case, later became the first Black Supreme Court Justice.
• The case was actually five different cases from different states combined into one.
• Linda Brown was just nine years old when the case was first filed.

Did You Know?

Even after the Supreme Court's ruling, many schools took years to actually integrate because some states resisted the change.