Brown v Board of Education Study Notes

Important People Involved:

• Thurgood Marshall (lawyer)

• Chief Justice Earl Warren

• Attorney Jeff Greenberg

• Plaintiff Oliver Brown

When and Where It Took Place:

• Decision Date: May 1945

• Involved a collection of five lawsuits combined into one case, impacting public school systems across the United States.

What Happened at the Event:

• The Supreme Court ruled unanimously (9-0) that segregation in public schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause, marking a pivotal moment in the legal battle against segregation.

Why the Event Was Important to the Civil Rights Movement:

• The ruling ended the doctrine of "separate but equal" established in Plessy v. Ferguson, laying a legal foundation for challenging segregation and discrimination.

Leaders of the Event:

• Thurgood Marshall played a crucial role as the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, advocating for equality in education and civil rights.