Education is one thing that parents want their children to possess; children want to go to school to learn and have a better future for themselves and for their families. Education is something that all people must have, regardless of race, age, sex, ethnic background or socioeconomic status. Yet this was not the case in America before. The privilege that students held today is not the same as fifty years ago. The Brown v. Board of Education case has changed all that. Brown v.
Board of Education is a landmark case which became the instrument for the cessation of legalized racial segregation in schools throughout the United States; its effects are still felt today, especially among teachers. Prior to Brown v. Board of Education, Plessy v. Ferguson has been enacting the law which would require “equal but separate” facilities for whites and colored passengers in rail transportation (U. S. Government Printing Office, n. d. , p. 1942). The Supreme Court ruled that these “separate but equal” facilities do not violate the Fourteenth Amendment (Anderson, Black Issues in Higher Education, and Byrne, 2004, p.
13), which gives equal protection and due process (Dykes, 1997). Thus, Plessy v. Ferguson has determined that “separate but equal” is the legal justification for the segregation between whites and colored passengers (Anderson, Black Issues in Higher Education, and Byrne, 2004, p. 13). However, the “separate but equal” doctrine was also exercised in public schools, where black students had to attend a school separate from whites. Many believed that this segregation was unconstitutional because it violates the Fourteenth Amendment (U. S.
Government Printing Office, n. d. , p. 1942). Around 1930s, African-American attorney Charles Houston led the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in battling against the “separate but equal” doctrine. He and others led the legal challenge to ax the legal segregation in elementary schools, where the effects of discrimination have adverse effects. The NAACP then organized a group which consisted of 13 parents who were plaintiffs on behalf of their 20 children. Their children were denied admission in segregated white schools.
They then filed a class suit which finally ended the segregation between whites and colored people (Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research, 2004). This has also led to the ruling of the Court that “racially segregated schools are inherently unequal” (University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, n. d. ). The Brown v. Board of Education has been among my inspirations for teaching because I believed that when it comes to education, students should not be subject to “separate but equal” facilities.
What the NAACP and its leaders did was something that America will be forever grateful for. They have fought for an education and a system that would give equal footing and rights for everyone regardless of race, sex, or color of skin. This has become a landmark case that changed the way education was served to the students. This case has also signaled the start of a new nation where national and international policies are drafted while considering human rights. The Brown v. Board of Education case is a major advancement for education.
It was the reason why whites and colored people can have the same privilege of going to any school they want. As for me, this case has a deep impact, as it teaches us to see a white and a black student as equal. It will teach me to avoid being subjective in dealing with students who are of mixed races. It will also teach me that despite their differences, they all have equal potential for success once they finish studying. In addition, it teaches me that the color of the skin is not the defining factor for each person.
This case will remind me everyday that as a classroom teacher, I have the opportunity to show the students how things have changed in the educational system of America. Brown v. Board of Education will be the Bible of teachers that would guide them in properly and equally dealing with their students.
References
Anderson, J. , Black Issues in Higher Education, and Byrne, D. N. (2004). The unfinished agenda of Brown V. Board of Education. Diverse: Issued in Higher Education. Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research. (2004). Brown v. Board of Education: About the case.
Retrieved March 27, 2009, from http://brownvboard. org/summary/ Dykes, T. R. (1997). The 14th amendment is ratified. WebChron. Retrieved March 27, 2009, from http://www. thenagain. info/WebChron/USA/14Ammend. html University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. (n. d. ). Separate but equal? : The road to Brown. Retrieved March 27, 2009, from http://www. law. umkc. edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/sepbutequal. htm U. S. Government Printing Office. (n. d. ). Fourteenth amendment. Retrieved March 27, 2009, from http://www. gpoaccess. gov/constitution/pdf2002/032. pdf