The Decision

Photo of the Supreme Court Justices

The Brown v Board of Education case was heard by the Supreme Court in June of 1952. Between the nine justices, all of which had varying viewpoints, opinions and stances, making a decision for the case was hard. The differing opinions split the nine justices. The Chief Justice Fred Vinson and many others had doubts that the Court had the Constitutional right and power to end separations in public schools based on race. Others believed that even if they did decide to integrate schools, there would be so much backlash from the country, that the government wouldn't be able to enforce the law. In 1953, Vinson died, and the president of the time, President Dwight Eisenhower had chosen Earl Warren as the new Chief Justice to replace Vinson.

Illustration of Chief Justice Earl Warren

The New Chief Justice Warren's leadership changed the course of American history. Warren realized that ending segregation in public schools was not going to sit well in the South, and could throw off the social balance of things in the nation. So he decided to create a unanimous vote that had no disagreeing or separate opinions, so it would be easier for the public to accept, knowing that there were no other opinions. Warren decided it would be best to save enforcing the law for later. He also told his fellow justices to keep their opinions short and unemotional. The idea of the decision being unanimous truly helped changed the course of the future.
Chief Justice Warren wrote the decision of the Supreme Court. He wrote that the Court agreed with Brown, the plaintiff, and the civil rights attorneys that the writers of the Fourteenth amendment were not clear on whether or not it was all right to allow segregated public schools. The Plessy decision (Separate but Equal) did not truly occur until 1896 and it only concerned transportation, not education. Warren also said that what was happening at that time was the problem, not what happened in the past. Education is extremely important, so taking it away from African American people because of segregation goes against the fourteenth amendment. Segregation of any type because of race goes against the fourteenth amendment. Warren, said in the opinion that, “Segregation of white and Negro children in the public schools of a State solely on the basis of race, pursuant to state laws permitting or requiring such segregation, denies to Negro children the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment -- even though the physical facilities and other "tangible" factors of white and Negro schools may be equal”