The Brown Decision;

Who is speaking?
Document One: Chief Earl Warren
Document Two: One of the hundred plus members of Congress who signed the manifesto pledging resistance to the Supreme Court rulings
Document Three: High School Boy in Oak Ridge, Tennessee,1957
Document Four: High School Girl in Louisville, Kentucky,1957
Document Five: High School Girl in the Deep South, May 1966
Document Six: High School Girl in the Deep South, May 1966

Who is the audience?
Document One: The Court, and all of the American people from a distance.

Document Two: Was meant to counter the Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education.

Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: To the people of America.

Who does the speaker represent?
Document One: He represents the voice of the Supreme Court, in Brown v. Board of Education, May 1954

Document Two: This document represents those who disagreed with the ruling in the Brown v. Board of Education case.

Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: The speakers all represent themselves and their own personal encounters.

What is being said, argued and/or requested?
Document One: He is stating that the act of segregation of public schools based on race, even if the facilities and other material things in the school are equal in value, it is still denying the children of the minority group of an equal education. And such segregation will cause problems in the community when the children grow up and realize how mistreated they where, and it will then be unchangeable. So the doctrine of “ separate but equal” is then vetoed. In which, separating educational facilities depending on race are found unconstitutional.

Document Two: The Southern Manifesto accused the Supreme Court of "clear abuse of judicial power." in the Brown v. Board of Education case. It then states "We pledge ourselves to use all lawful means to bring about a reversal of this decision which is contrary to the Constitution and to prevent the use of force in its implementation” as a conclusion.” Hence, them saying that they will change the ruling, they also say that the diminishing of the “separate but equal” act only hurt the relationships between the two races, are they say “good people of both races”, which is ironic because of what they are pledging resistance from.

Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: All these stories tell of they like it better at integrated school, even with the extra strife it causes them as individuals. They all also talk about how they knew they were “unwanted” by the whites, but wanted better activities or schooling. Document five gives the most shocking story about how six African Americans were shunned from the school, only to later return with a court order, and when they did return all the students and most of the teachers left.

How is it being said, argued and/or requested?
Document One: This is all being said very factually. He list the problem, states what was decided on the problem ( that segregation of school by race does not make for equal educational opportunities), then states McLaurin in which a African American is being held to intangible considerations, after this he looks into long term and states the problems this could have for our communities, and then restates his conclusion. What he is saying is clear and yet not coming off in an aggressive manner, it’s just very assertive.

Document Two: This document is written more in an insult forum. It “calls out” the Supreme Court a lot for their ruling in 1954. It is set up in a very opinionated way, and it is contradicting what the petition is for when is says things about both races having good relationships before the transformation of African Americans legal and political rights.

Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: All of the children seem to be disappointed in what they are living right then but they seem to be hopeful for the future. In document four the young lady states “It’s not the school, it’s the community.” What insight.

What proof and/or justification is being used to legitimize the request?
Document One: It states “…To separate them from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone..” this was said to make the point that by separating the children, it would only raise children with issues and then their issues would become the communities issues.

Document Two: It states that the Constitution of the United States along with the 14th Amendment do not say anything about education, and because the Supreme Court made the decision to support getting rid of children public school segregation that they are using their power in a unacceptable way.

Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: Nothing is being proven besides the mistreatment in these stories. Document three is talking about wanting to play on a basketball team at school and he can’t “Mostly it’s the fans or board of education that decides against me…” Then in document four she says she was treated alright at school but could not participate in extracurricular activities because once off school grounds everything is segregated again. In document five the girl is faced with a empty school to go to everyday because no one would go to school with African Americans enrolled as students. And document six said that the fact that the whites didn’t want the African Americans there was apparent. All of these are showing the discrimination that African Americans had to go through.

What is the historical significance/relevance of this document?
Document One: This was the Supreme Court’s decision to make it clear that change was going to happen, starting off the transformation of African American status during the 1950’s and 1960’s. This was a landmark ruling for the progress of equality for African Americans.

Document Two: This is relevant because it is the peoples strike back from the Court ruling. It gives the other side of perspective to how the people back then where feeling during these times.

Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: Real life experiences are important for history.

How do these document’s premise or themes fit into the historical context you are reading about in your textbook?
Document’s One,and Two: These two documents fit perfectly in to the two pages previous to page 1012-1013 which this article is located. The NAACP is explained to be the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and then gave the background information to the case Brown v. Board of Education.

Document’s Three, Four, Five and Six: These stories from high school students during the 1950’s to 1960’s fits in with our reading because as we learn about all the transitions that occurred like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., it is important to remember the people with less voice, but the same problems.