El Ed/Sec Ed 204 Week 7

1. El Ed/Sec Ed 204Week 7

2. History of Education in US Civil Rights

3. US Education and Civil Rights • Black WW II soldiers experienced less discrimination in European countries • President Truman desegregated army a few years after the war • successful performance of Black soldiers fuels fight for equality and gains supports from others • the direct effect on education was the attempt to desegregate public schools

4. US Education and Civil RightsBrown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS • 1954 Supreme Court consolidated case • South Carolina • Kansas • Virginia • Delaware • District of Columbia • Attack 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ‘separate but equal’ ruling • Thurgood Marshall lead NAACP lawyer

6. US Education and Civil RightsBrown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS • 1954 U. S. Supreme Court ruled that segregation is unconstitutional • Chief Justice Earl Warren • “We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of “separate but equal” has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal”

7. US Education and Civil Rights Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka KSClarendon County, South Carolina • Joseph Albert Delaine • Black preacher • principal • R. W. Elliott • White, chairman of school board, ran sawmill • Wright’s Bluff river port • Summerton ‘urban center’ for white owners • Manning county seat

8. US Education and Civil Rights Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka KSClarendon County, South Carolina • L. B. McCord • pastor of Manning Presbyterian Church • county superintendent of schools • dual occupation made him powerful • Senator “Pitchfork Ben” Tillman • bankrupt farmer, anti-Negro • James Hinton • state president of NAACP • preacher

9. US Education and Civil Rights Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS Clarendon County, South Carolina • Scott’s Branch School • Pearson v. County Board of Education • Levi Pearson • 3 children • farmer • plaintiff • Harold R. Boulware • attorney • thrown out because Pearson’s farm in wrong district

10. US Education and Civil Rights Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS Clarendon County, South Carolina • County only paid teachers’ salaries • Did not pay for fuel, bus, books, chalk etc. • Blacks economically dependent • Tenent farmers • Land owners dependent on White-owned equipment, businesses, and banks • Teachers dependent on White school boards and superintendents

11. US Education and Civil Rights Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS Clarendon County, South Carolina • principal fired at one Black school (Scott’s Branch School) • Suspected involvement in Pearson case • replacement incompetent • Pearson had trouble harvesting his crop • Black citizens met with NAACP • Needed a number of signatures on a petition • Delaine openly took leadership • Fired, blackmailed, and sued for slander

12. US Education and Civil RightsBrown v. Board of Education, Topeka KSClarendon County, South Carolina • H. B. Betchman • White superintendent District No. 22 • Briggs v. Elliott • Harry Briggs • Navy veteran • attendant at Carrigan service station • five children • plaintiff • R. W. Elliott • chairman of school board

13. US Education and Civil RightsBrown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS Topeka, Kansas • free-soilers establish Lawrence and Topeka • Did not want to compete with free slave labor • Negroes ultimately allowed in but denied vote • Built highways and diversified economy • homesteaders, corn and wheat farmers, railroaders, cattlemen • Schools segregated, desegregated and resegregated • William Reynolds attempts to enroll Black son in all White Topeka school in 1903

14. US Education and Civil RightsBrown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS Topeka, Kansas • Topeka segregated by law and custom in 1950s • 18 elementary schools for Whites, 4 for Blacks • Menial jobs for Blacks regardless of education • Built their own businesses

15. US Education and Civil RightsBrown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS Topeka, Kansas • Black teachers dependent on Whites for their jobs • Some Blacks feared integration would lead to loss of jobs • Could not teach White children • Could not compete in open market • Therefore some not cordial to NAACP

16. US Education and Civil RightsBrown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS Topeka, Kansas • Oliver Brown • Black welder • part-time pastor • quiet, nonmilitant • plaintiff • Lucinda Todd • Black ex-schoolteacher • active NAACP member, local branch secretary

17. US Education and Civil RightsBrown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS Topeka, Kansas • Mamie Luella Williams • Black master teacher • 42 years, highly respected • against NAACP integration efforts • Graham v. Board of Education • junior high school integrated • eight Black teachers fired

18. US Education and Civil RightsBrown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS Topeka, Kansas • Kenneth McFarland • 1942 superintendent of schools • White segregationist • Harrison Caldwell • Black teacher • overseer of Black schools • viewed as “difficult and dictatorial”

19. US Education and Civil RightsBrown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS Topeka, Kansas • Elisha Scott • mentee of Rev Shelton • Black lawyer • Esther Brown • White, Jewish housewife • employer of Mrs William Swann • efforts integrated South Park school • pushed NAACP, Wichita to launch suit

20. US Education and Civil RightsBrown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS Topeka, Kansas • McKinley Burnett • Black NAACP leader in Topeka • worked at government supply depot • The Citizen’s Committee petition • 1948, presented to Topeka Board of Education • presented by Burnett and Daniel Sawyer • attack on McFarland-Caldwell administation • called for end to segregated schools

21. US Education and Civil RightsBrown v. Board of Education, Topeka KS Topeka, Kansas • 1950, Todd and Burnett wrote Walter White about need to go to court over unbearable situation • filed as Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, February, 1951