Mock Trial: Brown vs Board of Education

Today in my First Year Seminar Class we held another mock trial. This time the two teams debated that case of Brown vs. The Board of Education. In 1954 Supreme Court justices ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. Brown v. Board of Education was one of the cornerstones of the civil rights movement, and helped establish the precedent that “separate-but-equal” education and other services were not, in fact, equal at all.

The first side was arguing in favor of Brown. They made arguments on the basis of Ethics, Religion and Law. The team cited cases like McLaurin vs. Oklahoma, and Sweet vs. Painter, and made the other points that forced separation will make the AA children fear their surroundings, and have low self-esteem as well as the argument that the Equal Protection Clause of 14th Amendment was being violated. These few arguments were very good and strong but that argument that I believe had the most impact is their argument on an Economical basis. This argument began with the points that the bus is free for whites, AA pay for transportation and schools are farther away, AA have smaller classes and less choice in the classes they take, and white schools are nicer in all areas compared to the AA schools. This argument really helps to paint the picture and drive home the point of "separate but not equal"

The second side was arguing in favor of The Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. Theri arguments made points like separate but equal is working and helps to keep peace and provide AA with rights as citizens, the combination of school would cause fights, racial issues and distractions from learning, and the Supreme Court shouldn’t have a say in state/local issues in Kansas. For me their best argument was that the Topeka School Board is in compliance with Supreme Court and Plessy vs. Ferguson, separation boosts AA schools because federal funds are available in some cases to only AA schools, and AA students are more comfortable studying with AA’s and white students are more comfortable studying with white students.