The Five Cases

The Brown v. Board decision didn't stem from a single case. The challenge to racial segregation in public schools arose several times from communities all across the country. Five of those communities, along with the NAACP, bravely sought the elimination of segregation in the United States in pursuit of true equality.

They shared a common goal, and were bundled together by the Supreme Court. These cases led to a single ruling on a national issue that would transform American society forever. You can read more about the Brown story or the individual court cases in the links below.

 

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  Briggs v. Elliott

  When their petition for buses was ignored, 20 parents in South Carolina filed suit to challenge segregation itself.

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  Bolling v. Sharpe

  John Phillip Sousa Junior High School in Washington D.C. refused to admit 11 African Americans despite having several empty classrooms.

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  Brown v. Board of Education

  Started by the NAACP, 13 parents in Topeka, KS. enrolled their children in white schools but were refused.

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  Davis v. County School Board

  Following a 400-student strike in Farmville, VA, the NAACP agreed to help them file suit against segregation itself.

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  Belton (Bulah) v. Gebhart

  Two cases of inequality, Belton v. Gebhart, and Bulah v. Gebhart argued by Louis Redding, Delaware's first African American attorney.