Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954):
• By unanimous decision of the U.S. Supreme Court Justices, this case granted equal education to Black Americans and ruled against school segregation. “This case promoted positive race relations in America by allowing blacks to be able to have the same education as whites and have it in the same space,” Jefferson Ofori, a senior Marketing major said, noting that segregated schools were unconstitutional.
Loving v. Virginia (1967):
• A Supreme Court case that struck down state laws banning interracial marriage in the United States. The plaintiffs in the case were Richard and Mildred Loving, a white man and Black woman whose marriage was deemed illegal according to Virginia state law. With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Lovings appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously that so-called “anti-miscegenation” statutes were unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. The decision is often cited as a watershed moment in the dismantling of “Jim Crow” race laws.
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857):
• Dred Scott sued for his freedom on the basis that having lived in free states for years he should be freed. He had resided in the free state of Illinois and Wisconsin for several years before moving back to Missouri; a slave state. The Supreme Court's decision on March 6th of 1857 was that all people ofAfrican ancestry, slaves and freed slaves, could never be U.S. citizens and therefore had no right to sue in federal court. Dred Scott was to remain a slave. On September 17th of 1858 only nine months after losing the case for his freedom Dred Scott died. Under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, slaves were considered property and not citizens. The upholding of this Amendment heightened tensions regarding slavery that eventually led to the Civil War.
State of Missouri ex. rel. Gaines v. Canada, University of Missouri (1938):
• Lloyd Gaines, a Black student, applied to the University of Missouri Law School but was denied admission solely because of his race. Instead, Missouri offered to pay for his tuition at an out-of-state law school. The Supreme Court ruled that this arrangement violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The Court stated that if a state provides education to white students, it must offer comparable facilities and opportunities to Black students within the state. This case set an important precedent for challenging segregation and paved the way for future decisions, including Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
Shelley v. Kraemer (1948):
• In this case, a Black family, the Shelleys, purchased a home in St. Louis, Missouri, which was subject to a racially restrictive covenant prohibiting ownership by non-white individuals. White neighbors, led by Kraemer, sought to enforce the covenant and prevent the Shelleys from taking possession of the property. The Supreme Court ruled that racially restrictive covenants themselves were not unconstitutional because private parties could agree to such contracts. However, the Court held that enforcement of these covenants by state courts violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. This decision effectively made racially restrictive covenants unenforceable, advancing civil rights by limiting housing discrimination.
Smith v. Allwright (1944)
• Lonnie E. Smith, a Black voter in Texas, was denied the right to vote in a Democratic Party primary due to the party's policy of restricting primaries to white voters only. This policy was upheld by the state under the argument that political parties were private entities and not subject to federal laws. The Supreme Court ruled that this practice violated the 15th Amendment, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting. The Court held that primaries were an integral part of the electoral process, and excluding voters based on race constituted state-sanctioned discrimination. This decision was a significant step in dismantling barriers to voting for African Americans and contributed to the broader civil rights movement.
Terry v. Ohio (1968):
• A landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that established the legality of "stop-and-frisk" procedures under certain circumstances. In this case, a police officer stopped and frisked John W. Terry and two other men after observing them acting suspiciously, suspecting they were planning a robbery. During the frisk, the officer found weapons on Terry, leading to his conviction for carrying a concealed weapon. The Supreme Court ruled that the officer's actions were constitutional under the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. The Court determined that an officer may stop and frisk a person if they have "reasonable suspicion" that the person is involved in criminal activity and may be armed. This case set a significant precedent for law enforcement, balancing individual rights with public safety concerns.
Bradenburg v. Ohio (1969):
• a significant U.S. Supreme Court decision that clarified the limits of free speech under the First Amendment. Clarence Brandenburg, a leader of the Ku Klux Klan, was convicted under an Ohio law for making a speech advocating violence and illegal activity during a rally. The state argued that his speech incited lawless action. The Supreme Court overturned Brandenburg's conviction, ruling that the Ohio law violated the First Amendment. The Court established the "imminent lawless action" test, which protects speech unless it is directed to inciting, and likely to incite, imminent lawless action. This decision strengthened protections for free speech, even for controversial or unpopular views, as long as they do not incite immediate violence or illegal acts.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896):
• In 1890, the State of Louisiana passed a law that provided for separate railway cars for Caucasian and African American persons. Plessy (defendant) was seven-eighths Caucasian and one-eighth African American, but he was considered African American under Louisiana law. Plessy challenged the law by taking a seat in a Caucasian railway car and was asked to move to the African American car by the conductor. When Plessy refused, he was forcibly ejected and imprisoned. The Supreme Court ruled against Plessy, stating that segregation was constitutional as long as the separate facilities were equal. This decision legitimized racial segregation and discrimination, leading to decades of Jim Crow laws in the United States.
Sweatt v. Painter (1950):
• The University of Texas created a separate area in three basement rooms with a small library for a Black student to be lectured alone. But the unanimous decision case prevented the university from circumventing court orders to provide equal education facilities for Black Americans. . On June 5, 1950 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Sweatt, stating that the blacks-only law school the University tried to create in the alloted six-month period was inherently unequal. The court required the University to accept Sweatt. Even though he had been admitted, his time at UT would prove to be just as difficult as the admittance process.
Browder v. Gayle (1956):
• This case arose after African American women, including Aurelia Browder and Claudette Colvin, challenged the constitutionality of bus segregation laws. The lawsuit was filed in the wake of Rosa Parks' arrest and the subsequent Montgomery Bus Boycott. The court ruled that segregation on public buses violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The decision was later affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, marking a significant victory for the civil rights movement and effectively dismantling bus segregation in the South. This case highlighted the power of grassroots activism and legal challenges in achieving social justice.
Cooper v. Aaron (1958):
• The case arose from resistance to the desegregation mandate in (1954). Arkansas state officials and the governor actively opposed integrating Little Rock Central High School, despite federal orders to do so. The Supreme Court unanimously held that state governments could not nullify federal law or Supreme Court decisions. It reaffirmed the supremacy of the Constitution and federal judiciary in enforcing civil rights, declaring that delaying desegregation was unconstitutional. This case underscored the federal government's authority in ensuring compliance with civil rights protections.
