Brown v Board of Education

An African-American mother smiles at her daughter in front of the Supreme Court while holding a newspaper announcing the Brown v Broad of Education ruling

For Tuesday (11/4), you’ll be finishing Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. We’ll also think about the legal context surrounding the novel, specifically one of the most important Supreme Court rulings of the twentieth century: Brown v Board of Education. The unanimous ruling held that school segregation violated the equal protection and due processes clauses of the 14th amendment. While the novel is set before the Brown ruling (1941, ruling 1954), Morrison is writing in the wake of Brown.

I’ve pulled together a few resources that shouldn’t take too much of your time.

First, the opinion, delivered by Chief Justice Warren.

Second, a collection of documents related to the case, gathered by the Library of Congress. Pay special attention to the “doll test,” which Equan helpfully mentioned in class last week.

Finally, a short podcast (six minutes) featuring a speech by Linda Brown, who was just 7 years old when the case was brought before the court. I hope you agree that it’s illuminating to hear her voice, to think of her as a person, and to understand how recent this case is in our cultural memory.