Justice John Marshall HarlanJustice John Marshall Harlan, declared the Constitution “color blind” and accurately predicted that this decision would become as baneful as the infamous Dred Scott decision of 1857. 

Who wrote the opinion in Brown v Board?

Earl Warren

majority opinion by Earl Warren. Separate but equal educational facilities for racial minorities is inherently unequal, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered the opinion of the unanimous Court.

What was the court’s dissenting opinion in Plessy v Ferguson?





In dissent, John Marshall Harlan argued that the Constitution was color-blind and that the United States had no class system. Accordingly, all citizens should have equal access to civil rights.

Who argued the Brown v Board of Education?

When the cases came before the Supreme Court in 1952, the Court consolidated all five cases under the name of Brown v. Board of Education. Marshall personally argued the case before the Court.

What was the basis of the decision in Brown v Board?

In this milestone decision, the Supreme Court ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional. It signaled the end of legalized racial segregation in the schools of the United States, overruling the “separate but equal” principle set forth in the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case.

What was the dissenting opinion Brown v Board?



One dissenter on the Court, Justice John Marshall Harlan, declared the Constitution “color blind” and accurately predicted that this decision would become as baneful as the infamous Dred Scott decision of 1857.

What was Warren opinion in Brown v. Board of Education?

On May 17, 1954, Warren read the final decision: The Supreme Court was unanimous in its decision that segregation must end. In its next session, it would tackle the issue of how that would happen. “We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place.



Who wrote the dissent in Plessy?

Justice John Marshall Harlan

The one lonely, courageous dissenter against the Plessy v. Ferguson decision was a Kentuckian, Associate Justice John Marshall Harlan. At issue was a Louisiana law compelling segregation of the races in rail coaches.

What was the Court’s dissenting opinion?

A dissenting opinion is an appellate opinion of one or more judges which disagrees with the reasoning stated in the majority or plurality opinion and, consequently, with the result reached in a case.

What was Justice John M Harlan dissenting opinion?



In his most famous and eloquent dissent, Harlan held that “our Constitution is color-blind,” that “in this country there is no superior, dominant ruling class of citizens,” and that it is wrong to allow the states to “regulate the enjoyment of citizens’ civil rights solely on the basis of race.” Harlan predicted that

Who disagreed with Brown vs Board of Education?

Board of Education in the early afternoon of May 17, 1954, Southern white political leaders condemned the decision and vowed to defy it. James Eastland, the powerful Senator from Mississippi, declared that “the South will not abide by nor obey this legislative decision by a political body.”

What were two arguments in Brown vs Board of Education?

They pointed to the Plessy decision of 1896 to support segregation and argued that they had in good faith created “equal facilities,“ even though races were segregated. Furthermore, they argued, discrimination by race did not harm children.

Who represented Brown in Brown v Board?

When Linda was denied admission into a white elementary school, Linda’s father, Oliver Brown, challenged Kansas’s school segregation laws in the Supreme Court. The NAACP and Thurgood Marshall took up their case, along with similar ones in South Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware, as Brown v. Board of Education.

Who represented Brown in Brown v Board?



When Linda was denied admission into a white elementary school, Linda’s father, Oliver Brown, challenged Kansas’s school segregation laws in the Supreme Court. The NAACP and Thurgood Marshall took up their case, along with similar ones in South Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware, as Brown v. Board of Education.

Was there a concurring opinion in Brown v. Board of Education?

In this major case, all the written opinions cited the Brown decision and claimed to be following Brown. (Below are excerpts from the opinion of the court, a concurring opinion, and two dis- sents.) Heralded as a great decision, Brown v.

Did Brown v Board use judicial review?

Yes, the Supreme Court used judicial review in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision. Judicial review is among the highest powers of the courts, giving them the legal power to declare laws passed or actions by branches of the government in violation of the constitution.

How did the public react to Brown v Board?

Responses to the Brown v. Board of Education ruling ranged from enthusiastic approval to bitter opposition. The General Assembly adopted a policy of “Massive Resistance,” using the law and the courts to obstruct desegregation.

How did white people react to Brown v. Board of Education?

Almost immediately after Chief Justice Earl Warren finished reading the Supreme Court’s unanimous opinion in Brown v. Board of Education in the early afternoon of May 17, 1954, Southern white political leaders condemned the decision and vowed to defy it.

Why was Brown v Board a failure?



But Brown was unsuccessful in its own mission—ensuring equal educational outcomes for blacks and whites. There were initial integration gains following Brown, especially in the South, but these stalled after courts stopped enforcing desegregation in the 1980s.