Abstract:
The Supreme Court declared that the segregation of elementary and high school was unconstitutional in 1954, through its famous decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka I. This decision changed the way America viewed race and the Supreme Court itself.Through its decision, the Court believed that the time was right to end segregation. That decision was an attempt to initiate social policy; unfortunately, the Court's decisions don't implement themselves. That responsibility lies with the other two branches of the federal government, the legislature and the executive, as well as with the states. As the nation progressed, the Supreme Court faced actions that resisted desegregation, such as the incident in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957, and reactions by various groups resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. While the Supreme Court continues to stand by its decision, the nation continues to debate the issue. I analyze school desegregation cases and show that the Supreme Court's power only extends so far before it must rely on other branches of our government.
