Developments in education Flashcards

All 8 cards in this deck

What did the Supreme Court rule in Brown v. Topeka (1954)?

That segregation in state schools was unconstitutional, overturning the doctrine of 'separate but equal' in education.

True or false? After Brown v. Topeka (1954) schools in the South were quickly desegregated.

False. Although segregation in schools was declared unconstitutional, many Southern states delayed and resisted desegregation.

How did Governor Orval Faubus try to stop desegregation at Little Rock High School in 1957?

He used the Arkansas National Guard to block the nine Black students (the Little Rock Nine) from entering the school.

How did President Eisenhower respond to the crisis at Little Rock High School (1957)?

He sent federal troops (the 101st Airborne) to escort the Little Rock Nine into the school and protect them.

Why did Linda Brown's family take their case to court in Brown v. Topeka?

Linda, a Black girl in Topeka, Kansas, had to travel to a distant Black school instead of her local white one. NAACP lawyers argued that segregated schooling harmed Black children psychologically and held back their education.

Roughly how many Black children in the South were still in segregated schools in 1957, three years after Brown v. Topeka?

About 2.4 million, compared with only around 300,000 who had moved into formerly segregated schools. The ruling had set no firm timetable for desegregation.

What happened when the Little Rock Nine got into Central High School on 23 September 1957?

Faubus had withdrawn the National Guard, and a white mob of about 1,000 gathered outside. The students had to be taken out at midday for their safety, and Eisenhower then sent in federal troops.

Give one reason why the events at Little Rock (1957) were significant.

Any one of: they showed that the federal government would overrule a state that defied the courts; worldwide TV coverage embarrassed the USA during the Cold War, as it claimed to defend freedom against communism.