In Memory of Linda Brown

of Brown v. Board of Education

Linda Brown’s parents thought her all-black school was a very good one.  They were satisfied with the education Linda was receiving, but the Browns did not like Linda being denied access to a closer public school solely because of her race.  As a result, the Browns filed suit against the Topeka School District because they wanted Linda and all her black school friends to be able to enjoy equal protection of the law.

The Supreme Court struck down “separate but equal” on grounds different from those asserted by the Browns.  The Court held that it was unconstitutional to deprive black kids of the benefit of associating with white kids.  

Really.  

Racist maybe?

Here is Malcolm Gladwell’s excellent summary of the case and the racial exposure issue, raising the possibility that the most important factor for school kids is exposure to teachers, and that maybe black kids are better off being exposed to black teachers.  

Gladwell excerpts a speech given by Linda Brown at the University of Michigan. Brown  says the Court should have first integrated teachers rather than kids.  Instead, black teachers were fired as schools were integrated.  

Brown concludes by saying that black kids bore the cost of integration more than white kids.

I remember one of my UW Poli Sci professors, Herbert Jacob, enthusiastically praising the Supreme Court's reliance on sociology in striking down "separate but equal".  

Maybe the Supreme Court should have stuck to the law, and the right to equal protection of the law, rather than delving into pseudo-science.

Well worth your time:

http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/13-miss-buchanans-period-of-adjustment

http://dcs.megaphone.fm/PPY7758175647.mp3?key=38a819b84b30148b8fc27070a248c4c5