Brown v. Board of Education: Caste, Culture, and the Constitution (Landmark Law Cases & American Society)
This work explores the cultural context of the groundbreakingBrowndecision, which outlawed segregated schools, from the Civil War through thePlessyruling, which held that blacks had no rights that whites were bound to honor. The authors highlight the pivotal role of the NAACP, which had long challenged customs that conflicted with the country's ideals through prior lawsuits, culminating inBrown. The authors also focus on many of the figures involved in this historic legal battle, including Charles Houston, first head of the NAACP, and Thurgood Marshall, NAACP lawyer and future Supreme Court justice. AlthoughBrowneliminated the legal bases for the American caste system, its substantive value remains open to question. Beyond removing the legal barriers to school integration, the decision has had limited effect on the residential segregation that perpetuates segregated schools.Brownreflects both the potential and the limitations of the court's ability to reflect, influence, and reconcile cultural customs with the highest ideals of racial equality.Vernon FordCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.