American Government - Chapter 5 Supreme Court Cases

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

The 14th Amendment ‘Could not have been intended to abolish distinctions based upon color, or to enforce social…equality."‘

• gives us the Separate But Equal Doctrine: the idea that racial segregation was acceptable as long as the separate facilities were of equal quality — in practice, they were ‘supposedly’ of equal quality, not only affected black Americans but any ‘non-whites’

Bostock v. Clayton Country (2020)

• A combination of three cases

Holds that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) protects employees against discrimination because of sexual orientation or gender identity

• Prior to this case, there were states where it was legal to fire/refuse to hire/refuse to promote an employee because of their gender identity or sexual orientation

Civil Rights Cases (1883)

Held that the enforcement clause of the 14th Amendment (no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of the citizens) was limited to correcting official actions taken by the states,

• Thus, meaning discriminatory actions of private citizens were legal

Brown v. Board of Education (of Topeka) (1954)

• Segregation of races in public schools violates the 14th Amendment

• Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (end of separate but equal)

• “With All Deliberate Speed”: Order from the Supreme Court that lower courts had to ensure African Americans were being admitted to school districts “with all deliberate speed”

• Lower courts were given the task of ensuring school districts were designed “on a non-racial basis”