Brown v Board of Education 1954

On the 17th of May in 1954, 50 years ago today, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously that seperate educational facilities for students based on the colour of their skin were inherently 'unequal' and were therefore unconstitutional. Constitution of the USA, 14th Amendment (equal protection) applied to states & 5th Amendment (due process) applied to cases in Washington D.C. The legal basis for segregation afforded by Plessy v. Ferguson (SCOTUS, 1896) that "seperate but equal" seating in a railroad carriage did not violate equal protection was swept away.

Filed from Washington, the Guardian explained the court ruling and now, 50 years on, they visit Milwaukee to report on present day segregation in the US.

Posted by Paul in Landmark Cases Law at May 17, 2004 10:32 PM | 1 Comments | Browse Related Books