May 1954
Events
- May 17, 1954Brown v. Board of Education — Supreme Court ends school segregation
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). The decision was the most important legal ruling of the 20th century civil rights era, dismantling the legal foundation of Jim Crow.
- May 17, 1954Thurgood Marshall Wins Brown v. Board of Education
On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, in a case argued by NAACP chief counsel Thurgood Marshall. The decision overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that had provided constitutional cover for Jim Crow segregation across American life. Brown v. Board is the most consequential legal victory in the history of the civil rights movement and one of the most important Supreme Court decisions in American history.
- May 17, 1954Thurgood Marshall Argues Brown v. Board of Education
Thurgood Marshall, lead counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, successfully argued Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court. The unanimous ruling that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and transformed American law.