LibGuides: Law Sources for Students and Educators: Brown v. Board of Education

The Brown v. Board of Education Decision and its Impact

The Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education, decided on May 17, 1954, changed the landscape of American education. In Brown v. Board, the Supreme Court ended segregation of schools according to race and expressly overturned the case of Plessy v. Ferguson by holding that separate educational facilities were "inherently unequal."

While the decision was a major victory for civil rights activists, it did not end the segregation of American schools immediately. It would take years and a series of other Supreme Court decisions before America's schools would be fully integrated.

If you would like to learn more about the Brown v. Board of Education decision and its impact, you can use the links listed in the box to the right to find more information.

Information about the Brown v. Board of Education Case

NAACP Legal Defense Fund Landmark Case: Brown v. Board of Education
This page, provided by the NAACP, gives information about the Brown v. Board of Education Case and its impacts on the civil rights movement.
History of Brown v. Board of Education
This page, created by the United States Courts, gives the history of the Brown v. Board of Education case and its impact on the education system of the United States. It discusses the cases that came before the Brown v. Board of Education decision, their precedent, and how the Supreme Court's holding changed the law.
Brown v. Board: An American Legacy
This article, published by the Southern Poverty Law center, provides information about the Brown v. Board of Education decision.
The webpage also provides links to materials that teachers can use to teach their students about the Brown v. Board case and the changes it brought to the education system.
Street Law Landmark Cases: Brown v. Board of Education
This webpage gives information about the Brown v. Board of Education case and materials that teachers can use to introduce students to the case's history and impacts.

While the webpage does provide general information about the case, its materials are aimed towards educators and some items require a Street Law password to access.