MUS 4930 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Equal Protection Clause
Summary'of'Brown&v.&Board&of&Education&of&Topeka,'347'U.S.'483,'74'S.'Ct.'686,'98'L.'Ed.'
873'(1954).'
Facts&
This'case'is'a'consolidation'of'several'different'cases'from'Kansas,'South'Carolina,'
Virginia,'and'Delaware.'Several'black'children'(through'their'legal'representatives,'Ps)'
sought'admission'to'public'schools'that'required'or'permitted'segregation'based'on'
race.'The'plaintiffs'alleged'that'segregation'was'unconstitutional'under'the'Equal'
Protection'Clause'of'the'Fourteenth'Amendment.'
In'all'but'one'case,'a'three'judge'federal'district'court'cited'Plessy&v.&Ferguson'in'
denying'relief'under'the'“separate'but'equal”'doctrine.'On'appeal'to'the'Supreme'
Court,'the'plaintiffs'contended'that'segregated'schools'were'not'and'could'not'be'made'
equal'and'that'they'were'therefore'deprived'of'equal'protection'of'the'laws.'
Issue&
• Is'the'raceWbased'segregation'of'children'into'“separate'but'equal”'public'schools'
constitutional?'
Holding&and&Rule&(Warren)&
• No.'The'raceWbased'segregation'of'children'into'“separate'but'equal”'public'schools'
violates'the'Equal'Protection'Clause'of'the'Fourteenth'Amendment'and'is'
unconstitutional.'
Segregation'of'children'in'the'public'schools'solely'on'the'basis'of'race'denies'to'black'
children'the'equal'protection'of'the'laws'guaranteed'by'the'Fourteenth'Amendment,'
even'though'the'physical'facilities'and'other'may'be'equal.'Education'in'public'schools'is'
a'right'which'must'be'made'available'to'all'on'equal'terms.'
The'question'presented'in'these'cases'must'be'determined'not'on'the'basis'of'
conditions'existing'when'the'Fourteenth'Amendment'was'adopted,'but'in'the'light'of'
the'role'of'public'education'in'American'life'today.'The'separate'but'equal'doctrine'
adopted'in'Plessy'v.'Ferguson,'which'applied'to'transportation,'has'no'place'in'the'field'
of'public'education.'
Separating'black'children'from'others'solely'because'of'their'race'generates'a'feeling'of'
inferiority'as'to'their'status'in'the'community'that'may'affect'their'hearts'and'minds'in'a'
way'unlikely'ever'to'be'undone.'The'impact'of'segregation'is'greater'when'it'has'the'
sanction'of'law.'A'sense'of'inferiority'affects'the'motivation'of'a'child'to'learn.''
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