KeyExcerptsfromtheMajorityOpinion,Brownv.

BoardofEducation(1954)

Thedecisionwasunanimous.ChiefJusticeEarlWarrendeliveredtheopinionoftheCourt.
...Here...therearefindingsbelowthattheNegroandwhiteschoolsinvolvedhavebeen
equalized,orarebeingequalized,withrespecttobuildings,curricula,qualifications,and
salariesofteachers,andother"tangible"factors.Ourdecision,therefore,cannotturnon
merelyacomparisonofthesetangiblefactorsintheNegroandwhiteschoolsinvolvedineach
ofthesecases.Wemustlookinsteadtotheeffectofsegregationitselfonpubliceducation....

Today,educationisperhapsthemostimportantfunctionofstateandlocalgovernments.
Compulsoryschoolattendancelawsandthegreatexpendituresforeducationboth
demonstrateourrecognitionoftheimportanceofeducationtoourdemocraticsociety....
Todayitisaprincipalinstrumentinawakeningthechildtoculturalvalues,inpreparinghimfor
laterprofessionaltraining,andinhelpinghimtoadjustnormallytohisenvironment.Inthese
days,itisdoubtfulthatanychildmayreasonablybeexpectedtosucceedinlifeifheisdenied
theopportunityofaneducation.Suchanopportunity,wherethestatehasundertakento
provideit,isarightwhichmustbemadeavailabletoallonequalterms....

Toseparatethem[childreningradeandhighschools]fromothersofsimilarageand
qualificationssolelybecauseoftheirracegeneratesafeelingofinferiorityastotheirstatusin
thecommunitythatmayaffecttheirheartsandmindsinawayunlikelytoeverbeundone....
Whatevermayhavebeentheextentofpsychologicalknowledgeatthetimeof
Plessy
v.
Ferguson
,thisfindingisamplysupportedbymodernauthority....

Weconcludethatinthefieldofpubliceducationthedoctrineof"separatebutequal"hasno
place.Separateeducationalfacilitiesareinherentlyunequal.Therefore,weholdthatthe
plaintiffsandothersimilarlysituated...are...deprivedoftheequalprotectionofthelaws
guaranteedbytheFourteenthAmendment.

NotesontheOpinion
AfterthedecisioninBrownwasreached,theCourtdecidedacompanioncaseBolling
v.
Sharpe
regardingthesameissueofsegregationintheDistrictofColumbia.TheCourtnotesfirstthat
althoughtheFourteenthAmendmentisonlyapplicabletostates,theFifthAmendmentis
applicabletotheDistrictofColumbia.TheCourtthenheldthatwhiletheFifthAmendmentdoes
notcontainanequalprotectionclauseitdoescontainadueprocessclause,theconceptsboth
stemmingfromtheAmericanidealoffairness,anddiscriminationcanbesounjustifiableitcan
bedeemedviolativeofdueprocess.
QUESTIONSTOCONSIDER
1. InChiefJusticeWarren'sopinion,howvaluableiseducation?Why?

InChiefJusticeWarrensopinion,educationisperhapsthemostimportantfunctionof
stateandlocalgovernments.Educationisaprincipalinstrumentinawakeningthe
childtoculturalvalues,inpreparinghimforlaterprofessionaltraining,andinhelping
himtoadjustnormallytohisenvironment.Educationisveryvaluable,accordingto
him.WhatdoestheCourtmeanbythe"tangible"factorsofequality?Arethesetangible

factorstheonlyfactorstheCourtconsideredwhendeterminingwhethertheFourteenth
Amendmentwasviolated?

Bytangiblefactorsofequality,thecourtmeansthateverythingphysicalthatcanbe
equalbetweenblacksandwhites.Hebringsexamplessuchasbuildings,curricula,
qualifications,andsalariesofteachers.Thecourtalsolookedatsegregationsimpacton
publiceducation.

2. AccordingtotheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStates,what"intangible"factorsplaya
roleinwhetherschoolfacilitiesaretrulyequal?

Intangiblefactorsthatplayedaroleinwhetherschoolfacilitiesaretrulyequalarethe
qualityofeducationthechildrenreceive.Anotherfactorcouldbetheamountof
teachers.

3. Whatwouldyourschoolbelikeif
Brown
hadbeendecideddifferentlyand
Plessy
had

neverbeenreversed?HowwouldeducationbedifferentforwhiteandAfricanAmerican
students?

IftheBrownvs.BoardofEducationhadbeendecideddifferentlytheschoolsinthe
countrywouldprobablystillbesegregated.IwouldprobablybegoingtoaallAfrican
AmericanschoolandLexingtonSeniorHighSchoolwouldmostlikelybeaallwhite
school.

4. Doyouthinkthattherearestillconsequencesresultingfromschoolsbeingsegregated
inthepast?

Ithinkthatracismwillneverend.InschoolsIstillnoticethatwearesortasegregated.
Especiallyatlunch,allyouseeisthemexicans,whites,andblacksatdifferenttables.
Peoplestillbringupthefactthatsomebodyelseisanotherrace.Idothinkthat
consequencesexistfromschoolsbeingsegregatedinthepast.

________________
References
KeyExcerptsfromtheMajorityOpinion,BrownI(1954)|www.streetlaw.org.(n.d.).Retrieved
from
http://www.streetlaw.org/en/Page/519/Key_Excerpts_from_the_Majority_
Opinion_Brown_I_1954