Examine the significance of Brown v. Board of Education

The landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education was the result of over forty years of dedicated efforts by the NAACP to end racial inequality in education.

Credit: Library of Congress

Review

Take 3–5 minutes to revisit your notes or materials from this lesson, including:

  • Thurgood Marshall’s use of the 14th Amendment
  • The role of psychological evidence (like the Clark Doll Test)
  • The legal strategy of the NAACP
  • What changed, and what didn’t, after the decision

Reflect and Respond

Next, using evidence and specific details from the lesson, respond to the prompts below.

  • Thurgood Marshall’s use of the 14th Amendment
  • Explain why and how Thurgood Marshall argued against public school segregation in Brown v. Board of Education.
  • The legal strategy of the NAACP
  • Analyze the extent to which Marshall’s legal victory in Brown succeeded in guaranteeing equal treatment for African Americans