Key Supreme Court Cases: Civil Rights & Equal Protection

1. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

• Issue: Can states enforce racial segregation under the Equal Protection Clause?

• Ruling: Yes, segregation was legal under the “separate but equal” doctrine.

• Impact: Legitimized racial segregation and allowed Jim Crow laws to spread.

2. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) [Required Case]

• Issue: Does racial segregation in public schools violate the Equal Protection Clause?

• Ruling: Yes, segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

• Impact: Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and required school desegregation.

3. Shaw v. Reno (1993) [Required Case]

• Issue: Can states draw congressional districts primarily based on race to increase minority representation?

• Ruling: No, racial gerrymandering is unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause.

• Impact: Limited the use of race in redistricting and supported a “colorblind” approach.

4. Baker v. Carr (1962) [Required Case]

• Issue: Can federal courts intervene in cases of legislative districting (apportionment)?

• Ruling: Yes, courts can rule on districting issues under the Equal Protection Clause.

• Impact: Established “one person, one vote,” forcing states to redraw districts fairly.

5. Reynolds v. Sims (1964)

• Issue: Must state legislative districts have roughly equal populations?

• Ruling: Yes, unequal representation violates the Equal Protection Clause.

• Impact: Required states to ensure equal voting power in legislative districts.

6. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

• Issue: Is racial quota-based affirmative action in college admissions constitutional?

• Ruling: No, strict racial quotas violate the Equal Protection Clause, but race can still be a factor in admissions.

• Impact: Limited affirmative action but allowed race-conscious admissions in some cases.

7. Gratz v. Bollinger (2003) & Grutter v. Bollinger (2003)

• Issue: Can universities use race as a factor in admissions?

• Ruling:

• Gratz v. Bollinger: No, giving automatic points for race in admissions is unconstitutional.

• Grutter v. Bollinger: Yes, race can be considered as part of a holistic review.

• Impact: Affirmative action upheld in some cases but restricted in others.

8. Shelby County v. Holder (2013)

• Issue: Can the federal government require states to get approval before changing voting laws?

• Ruling: No, part of the Voting Rights Act was struck down.

• Impact: States no longer need federal approval to change voting laws, leading to new voter restrictions in some states.

9. Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023)

• Issue: Do race-conscious college admissions violate the Equal Protection Clause?

• Ruling: Yes, affirmative action in college admissions is unconstitutional.

• Impact: Race can no longer be used as a factor in admissions decisions.

These cases shaped how civil rights and equal protection are interpreted in the U.S. Do you want any specific case explained in more detail? 😊