Brown v. Board of Education 1954 Reading Guide

Vocabulary Words

NAACP:

Thurgood Marshall:

"Landmark Case":

Refer to the Case Overview to answer the following questions:

What did the NAACP advocate concerning the "separate but equal" ruling in Plessey? 

What were the first schools the Court ordered segregated?

What basic question did the NAACP feel the Court was ready to tackle in 1952?

What components made Brown a "landmark case?" (paragraph four) What social cause did Brown push the nation to "pick up?" 

Refer to the Opinion of the Court to answer the following questions:

What were the plaintiffs seeking when bringing Brown before the Court? 

How does the Core Democratic Value "equal protection under the law" relate to this case?

What "tangible" factors did the Court state were "equalized" at the schools in question?

Did the Court feel that segregated schools, equal in all other areas, did in fact provide an equal education? Explain.

What did the Court rule on the doctrine of "separate but equal" education?