The Brown Decision
Who is Writing:
Document One-The Supreme Court, delivered by Chief Justice Earl Warren
Document Two- Members of Congress
Document Three- An African-American high school boy from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 1957
Document Four- An African-American high school girl from Louisville, Kentucky, 1957
Document Five- An African-American high school girl from the Deep South, May 1966
Document Six- An African-American high school girl from the Deep South, May 1966
Audience:
Document One- Anyone and everyone
Document Two- Anyone and everyone
Document Three- Anyone and everyone
Document Four- Anyone and everyone
Document Five- Anyone and everyone
Document Six- Anyone and everyone
Who do the Writers Represent:
Document One- They represent people who believe that education should be a right for all people of any race and background.
Document Two-
Document Three- He represents African-American students in white schools who are trying to make a better future for themselves yet are still faced with discrimination solely based on their skin color
Document Four- She represents African-American students who were accepted as an individual person by their peers, but still faced segregation.
Document Five- She represents all of the African-American students who were met with violence and humiliation when they tried to switch to a better school. Even with that, they strived for a better education and worked hard to graduate.
Document Six- She represents African-American students who were able to get into the white school to pursue a better education while facing the hate of other students
What is being said:
Document One- That “separate but equal” is a bunch of BS, it’s separate but definitely not equal. They are saying that segregation causes minorities to feel inferior and that way of thinking can be irreversible to some people. They are arguing that equal to education should be available to all people no matter their race or background.
Document Two-
Document Three- He like the new school better because there are more opportunities for him to grow in areas such as education and sports. Even though he is a part of the basketball and baseball team, he sometimes doesn’t get to play in games, because of his skin color.
Document Four- She says that she has been accepted as her own person, but that only makes her feel as though she was “…some ambassador from some foreign country”. Despite being accepted, she wasn’t able to participate in extracurricular activities because they were still segregated.
Document Five- On her first day of school she witnessed an uproar followed by violence by people who were opposed to her and five other students attending a white school. When the students showed up, no other students came to school. The community wanted to isolate these six kids. However, there were a few teachers who stayed a stuck it out and were able to witness the six kids graduate.
Document Six- She says that going to the white school gave her a better education and that the course was a lot harder than the colored school. She faced the hate of the other students and studied hard until graduation.
How it’s being said:
Document One- Earl Warren delivers his speech in such a way that it comes off strongly. He knows what he wants and he’s persuading people to be on his side. He goes into depth and even brings up that it may damage the confidence of some minorities and that it could be a lasting wound for them.
Document Two-
Document Three- I think that despite not being able to play in some of the games, he still loves being at the school and part of the teams. In my opinion, he is really optimistic. He recaps he story as is, without much of his own thoughts on the matter.
Document Four- I don’t think the girl is having a very good experience, she still feels alienated from others. In my opinion, she sounds very sad and disappointed because of the fact there are still things she can’t do.
Document Five and Six- Both girls know that attending the colored school would not have given them the opportunities that going to a white school would have. They knew that the people didn’t want them there, yet they worked hard and passed all of their classes for their own sake.
Proof:
Document One- He brings up things like how even though they are supposed to be “separate and equal” things were definitely not equal in any aspect. He spoke very strongly and adamantly about how everyone should be able to have the opportunity to equal education.
Document Two-
Document Three- Even though he wasn’t allowed to participate in some games, he didn’t say anything bad about the fans or community members who were against him. In his last sentence he says “…maybe I’ll get to play the next game” I think that really shows optimism; even though he is not allowed to play he still has his hopes.
Document Four- The proof is near the end of the document where she says “Well what can you do? It just leaves me out. It’s not the school, it’s the community”. She obviously feels left out and alone.
Document Five and Six- Both passed their classes and graduated from the white schools, even though they might have been discriminated against and at times even humiliated.
Historical significance/relevance:
Document One- The Brown decision helped end segregation and moved America in the right direction. Because of the Brown decision, African-Americans were able to get into the schools that they otherwise wouldn’t have ever been able to set foot on.
Document Two-
Document Three- Because of the Brown decision, this boy was able to escape the colored school and go to another school where he would have more opportunities available
Document Four- Even though she was accepted and people liked her, she still had to face segregation. Changes don’t happen with the snap of the finger, even with the Brown decision things like segregation would only change with time.
Document Five- The Brown decision may have ended segregation, but it definitely didn’t end discrimination and racist attitudes. Many African-Americans had to face that fact when they left their colored school for a better one. In the end, after all the years of endurance, graduating with a better education that they otherwise wouldn’t have, made it all worthwhile.
Document Six- Many African-Americans were able to attend better schools because of the Brown decision, and at better schools the courses were harder. Because of that, they studied hard. Even when put in a place where everyone hates them, they were able to pass their classes and graduate.
How does this Document’s Premise or Theme fit into the Historical Context:
Because of the Brown decision African-Americans were able to attend the same schools as white kids. Many African-Americans were able to get a better education. Some still faced racism and discrimination, but there were also some who didn’t. I think that because of the Brown decision many African-Americans lives took a turn for the better, they had more opportunities to things that they wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
Wow first off great job of going through all of that information and analyzing it you did a really good job.The Brown decision was definitely a powerful symbol of the near end of segregation in America.Each document was interesting to read because it showed how each one of the six kids who were being discriminated against felt and handled the experience. Some of them were very optimistic like you said such as the boy from Document three who was never allowed to play in any of the games but always kept hope that maybe next game he would be able to play.Or also the girl in Document four and how she didn't have a very good experience with the new school and felt very alone and still segregated even though she was going to a white school now. I feel like the Brown decision was a great symbol of the end of segregation but that didn't mean that it was the end for discrimination at least not yet.. Overall I really enjoyed reading your T.A. it was very well put together, keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThe Brown Decision article was an interesting reading. I was shocked that white students didn't return to school and there were only six colored students that graduated. I admire these students, they stood up and never gave up. They studied hard and graduated with the help of few teachers.
ReplyDeleteThere were black schools but didn't have enough resources to provide a good education. I think government didn't provide enough funding for these schools. They were not equal at all.
It was a long TA and you did good job on all the documents.
I have to start by saying WOW.I feel so bad for these poor girls/boys that had to go threw so much discrimination. In Doc 3 the boy actually saw the difference between colored and white school. He mentions he likes the white schools better because they have more sports, even thouh they dont let him participate on all sports, he still feels as he has a choice when choosing a sport to play. On Doc 4 the girl blames the community for such discrimination. She was not allowed to participate in any extra curricular activities such as cheerleading, band or drum.On Doc 6 another student feels as if the white school were better then the colored school. She said colored schools didn't offer what she needed. She goes on by saying that she changed to a white school even though she knew they wouldn't like her because the white school had a better science department. To me it seems as the colored school were not been helped by the state or government as equal as the white schools.
ReplyDeleteGreat summary, Trang! The Brown v. Board of Education Decision was a long time in coming in that it finally recognized the utter unjustness of segregation. As you mentioned in your summary, Warren points out that being seperated put African Americans at a disadvantage economically, but even socially as they were treated as outcasts by mainstream society.
ReplyDeleteThe other selections you summarized about the children's experiences of going to school and being ostracized were sad to read, but pointed out the real challenges of implementing the desperately needed changes that the Brown decision made.
Wow this is an impressive TA. It really looks like you took a lot of time to analyze these documents. I think that these readings/documents were really interesting to read because in each one you got to see point of views from six kids who were being discriminated by segregation. Reading these documents really made me feel sorry for those kids who had to go through such hard things like how one girl felt that she was not only left out of the school but the entire community. I can't even imagine going through something like that. In school growing up sometimes you feel left out when you don't get invited to do something and that seems like the end of the world. But that is just a tiny thing compared to what these kids went through.
ReplyDeleteAs others said yes these documents were very interesting. I enjoyed reading details of what actually took place shortly after these boys and girls entered the other (white) schools. Something that came to mind as I read through your TA and reading the documents is how events like this of only nine students provided integration of schools in those times and has to led to other integrations in the employment and housing. These are great strides and although we have made those. Many judgements are still made of every race.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to live down south. Not to make all the south seem so negative since this does not apply to everyone and Texas has been very enjoyable but my boyfriend who works as a Physical Therapist works daily with elderly and on a few occasions I have met some of these patients. There are one or two who still throw the word nigger around. You hear this term with younger generation a lot and words towards the many mexicans down here. The idea of integration just does not seem complete down here. Behind the face we put on in front of people racial judgements and stereotypes are made by many people of all races.
hello trang! I really liked your TA, great job! I also strongly agee how the most imporatance of this context is that Brown decision about equality of education made huge influence on African-American and their development in education and perception for life
ReplyDeleteGreat TA, the lack of formality really let's your opinions show. I agree with everything you wrote, I especially like your interpretation of Document 5 how it shows that racism wasn't ended by this, simply segregation because I believe that there are some people who don't get that. I think it might be interesting to see how many non-white people got into colleges before this and how many did afterward, just to prove that separate cannot be equal.
ReplyDeleteGreat summary. I totally agree for the reasons in whatyou wrote, although my interpretation is in totally agree, but yet varies, As i do believe brown vs board played a major role in the african american community, and providing them the opprotunity to become more free and "like others". I also believe that the NAACP, also played a major role as well, I believed that played a major and important role because they were a team that were fighting for the rights such as the brown vs board, and had people behind them and werent and were speaking up of there rights, and werent afraid of any of the circumstances.
ReplyDelete