Brown vs Topeka

Question 1

Why was the Supreme Court’s decision on Brown vs Topeka significant?

Answer 1

• Gave civil rights activists hope the Supreme Court would rule positively in similar cases
• No longer too conservative to rule in favour
• Created a precedent which could be appealed in the future
• Some desegregation took place

Question 2

What was ‘Black Monday’? How did the Whites react?

Answer 2

• Term used by white southern supremacists
• The day the Supreme Court ruled on Brown vs Topeka
• Conspiracy of northerners destroying their way of life

Question 3

How did the white racists respond to the desegregation process (after Brown vs Topeka)?

Answer 3

Very slow desegregatoin

Question 4

What does NAACP stand for?

Answer 4

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Question 5

What was the NAACP’s focus in the 1940s?

Answer 5

• To challenge segregation in education through the law courts
• Stemmed from the principle of Plessy vs Ferguson

Question 6

Describe what led to the Brown v Topeka case in 2 sentences

Answer 6

In 1951, Linda Brown’s parents applied for her to attend elementary school for white pupils, but her application was rejected on the grounds of race. They were persuaded by the NAACP to take it to the Supreme Court.

Question 7

What was the result of Brown vs Topeka?

Answer 7

• Supreme court ruled by a unanimous 9-0 margin
• Unconstitutional

Question 8

Why was the Supreme Court’s decision on Brown vs Topeka insignificant? (hint: branches of government)

Answer 8

• Supreme court could not enforce its own laws, needed other branches
• Ex-confederate states still found ways to evade the law
• Violence continued
• Unforeseen consequences: good black schools closed, black teachers lost their jobs, and black pupils found integration hard

Question 9

What was a consequence of raising tensions after the Brown v Topeka verdict?

Answer 9

Increased violence, exemplified by Emmett Till

Question 10

When was the verdict of Brown v Topeka?

Answer 10

1954