The landmark case for equality of education in America is without a doubt Brown …show more content…
The “Little Rock Nine” were a group of African-American students who under Daisy Bates were determined to enter Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas as students. The students- Minnijean Brown, Terrance Roberts, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Thelma Mothershed, Melba Patillo, Gloria Ray, Jefferson Thomas, and Carlotta Walls-were met with extreme opposition from the surrounding community, the state governor Orval Faubus, and even the Arkansas National Guard. (Little Rock School Desegregation (1957)) Daisy Bates, the woman who recruited the nine students, was president of the Arkansas branch of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) at the time. Bates tested the students intensively to make sure they could all withstand any resistance and pressure they could face. Prior to the start of the school year they went through training sessions for hostile situations. The students did end up facing hostility when on September 2, 1957 Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus called in the Arkansas National Guard to stop the students from entering the school, claiming it was for their own protection. The Governor continued to insist that violence would occur if the students were allowed in. It was not until September 25th that the “Little Rock Nine” made it through the full day of classes, escorted by National Guardsmen and members of the 101st Airborne …show more content…
For the majority of the twentieth century discrimination against minorities was largely negative. With the rise of affirmative action incentives in the education system minorities started seeing more positive treatment. So positive in fact that it started to hurt other groups. In the case of Allan Bakke a 35 year old white male and former engineer at NASA, affirmative action was a problem. Bakke was denied admission to The University of California Davis Medical School twice, even though his GPA, MCAT, and test scores were significantly higher than those of people who had been admitted. (Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (No. 7811) ) Bakke sued The University of California Davis, arguing he was a victim of discrimination and won. The Supreme Court agreed with Bakke in that the school's admissions policy violated the Equal Protection Clause found in the Fourteenth Amendment, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which "prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance." (Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (No. 7811) ) This suit by Bakke led to specific racial quotas, like the 16 black out of 100 that Bakke dealt with, being ruled unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruled that race and affirmative action could be considered in the admissions process along with other factors,