When Separate was No Longer Equal: Brown v Board of Education

Following the landmark case of Plessy v Ferguson in 1896, segregation became the norm in the American South. All public amenities ranging from movie theaters to water fountains were separate on the grounds of race, but one man wanted to change that. Oliver Brown, the plaintiff, brought a class-action suit against the Topeka, Kansas Board of Education when his daughter, Linda, was denied access to an all-white public school. This 1954 case overturned Plessy v Ferguson and was the catalyst of integrated public facilities across the United States. The Supreme Court ruled that to be separate was to be inherently unequal and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment was redefined. 

As with the previous State v Mann post, I was tasked with impersonating a defense lawyer of the state. My assignment was to make an appeal in favor of segregated schools and I had to argue from a legal perspective. This assignment was more challenging than State v Mann because in that case, I was arguing against slavery, and in this case, I am arguing in favor of segregation. Below you will find the exact transcript of my remarks.

"The issue of separate but equal accommodations within public facilities was established long ago in 1896 with the case of Plessy v Ferguson. This case established the separate but equal doctrine that has dominated our land ever since. My argument before the court today is that we honor Stare Decisis and veer away from Judicial Activism. As established in 1896, public accommodations for different races are equal which makes the matter of integration a moot point. Individual businesses may provide unequal accommodations and we encourage these businesses to be prosecuted with the full force of the law. Currently, all legislation and amendments to our Constitution dictate equal protection under the law for all citizens, as expressed in the 14th Amendment which was ratified in 1868. Separate accommodations are equal because the quality of the services remains the same and in theory, the services should be indistinguishable from each other. Some would argue that this practice is immoral but we are a nation of laws. The precedent of this case was established on moral grounds in a time when the horror of slavery was being purged from our land. If we follow morals rather than law then our government is only as good as the people elected or appointed to fill them. By adhering to law and precedent we have been able to safeguard our nation from mob rule and protect our institutions from tyranny. The case before the court today should respect precedent so our Constitution can be maintained."

For case details and for a full history of the case please read the links below:

https://brownvboard.org/content/brown-case-brown-v-board

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/brown-v-board-of-education-of-topeka