Brownv.

BoardofEducationWarrenOpinion
InhisexpertopinionChiefJusticeEarlWarrendecidesinfavoroftheplaintiffs,
acknowledgingthatracialsegregationofpublicschoolswasdetrimentaltoAfrican
Americanstudents.Withsuchopinionhisargumentswere:(1)itwasunclearthe
FourteenthAmendment'sintendedeffectsonpubliceducation,(2)previoushistoryin
thetimewhentheFourteenthAmendmentwasadoptedwasirrelevanttotheeraofthe
Brownv.Boardcaseandthatthecasedecisionshouldbedeterminedinlightofwhatis
bestforthedevelopmentofpubliceducationandthelivesofAmericansthroughoutthe
Nation,(3)theopportunityforeducationthroughpublicschoolsshouldbeonequal
termsasitisaright,(4)racialsegregationdeprivesminoritystudentsofequal
educationalopportunities,andfinally(5)thedoctrineseparatebutequalisirrelevantto
thecaseasthedoctrinedoesnotrelatetothefieldofpubliceducation.
Moreover,hesupportsarguments(1and2)statingitwasuncleartheintentionof
theAmendmentbecausemanypeopleatthetimeofitsadoptionwereantagonistic
aboutit,andduringthattimethestatusofpubliceducationwasunderdeveloped
comparedtothetimewhenthecasewasbroughtupon.Duringthetimeoftheadoption
andbeforeinhistory,educationwasonlydisplayedwithwhitestudentsreceivingan
educationthroughprivateorganizations,whileeducationforAfricanAmericanswas
mostlynonexistentandinsomecasesillegal.ChiefWarrenmakessuretoremindthe
courtthatthecountrynolongerpracticessuch,butinapositivelightAfricanAmericans
weresuccessfulinvariousfieldssuchasart,science,etc.
Insummaryofargument(1),thereasonbehindtherebeingnorealcorrelation
betweentheFourteenthAmendmentandpubliceducationwasbecauseeducationwas
notfundamentalin1868.Withthat,WarrenfeltthebestwaytoapproachtheBrownv.
BoardcasewasnotgoingbackinhistorywhentheAmendmentwasadoptedorlooking
backinthetimeofPlessyv.Ferguson,butratherfocusingonwhathadbeenthe
presenttimeofthecaseandacknowledgethedevelopmentandtheplacepublic
educationshouldhave.Withdoingsoitwouldthendeterminewhethersegregation
deprivedAfricanAmericanstudentsofequalprotection.
Furthermore,Warrenwentonlikesoforargument(3).Incasespreviousto
Brownv.Boardithadbeenfoundthattheinequalityofwhitestudentsenjoyingspecial
benefitsthatAfricanAmericanstudentscouldnothinderedAfricanAmericanstudents.
Warrenemphasizedmultipletimesthatforthesuccessofthecountryeducationwasa
fundamentalprinciple,asitisprincipalinthedevelopmentofyoungchildrenasthey
werebeginningtobeawokentoculturalvalues,preparingforfuturecareersandsettling
intotheirnormalenvironment.Incontrast,henotedyoucan'texpectAfricanAmerican
childrentobesuccessfulinlifeiftheyarecheatedoutofeducationalopportunities.The
intentionofthestateswastoprovideeducationtoeveryoneandsotheymustprovideit
onequalterms.

AlongwithWarren'sarguments(3and4)hecontinuestostatethattosimply
comparetangiblefactorsofwhiteschoolstoAfricanAmericanschoolswasnotenough,
astheyweresomewhatequal.Instead,thebestjudgementcomesoutoflookingat
theeffectsofsegregationonpubliceducationandtheprogresstheinstitutionismaking.
Withthatthecourtbelievedthatsegregationonthebasesofracedeprivedminority
childrenofequaleducationalopportunities.Thecourtlookedbeyondthephysical
componentsofsegregatedschoolsandreliedontheintangibleeffects.IntheSweattv.
PaintercaseithadbeendisplayedthatAfricanAmericanlawschoolswerenotableto
provideequaleducationalopportunitiesaswhitelawschools.Thecasereliedon
qualitiesthatwerenotinfactmeasurablebutcontributedtowhatmadetheschool
great.Toadd,theMcLaurinv.OklahomaStateRegentsdecisionrequiredAfrican
Americanchildrenwhoweresuperiortotheirownschooltobeintegratedintowhite
schoolswiththeemphasisofthestudentsbeingtreatedequal.Thiscaseinsimilarityto
theSweatt.casereliedonintangibleconsiderations.Warrenhighlightedthattoseparate
childrenbecauseoftheirraceestablishedafeelingoflessworthandwhichwentonto
affectAfricanAmericanstudentsmentalhealthandbehavior.Withsuchestablishment,
itinstilledapainthatcouldnotbeundonewithinAfricanAmericans.ToaddWarrenalso
statesthatracialsegregationhaddamagingpsychologicaleffectsonminoritychildren
andthedamagewasevengreaterwiththesupportofthelaw.Thefeelingofinferiority
disabledmanychildrenfromlearning,aswellaslabeledthemretardedintermsof
educationalandemotional,whichwascriminalastheywerenotgivenafairchance.
Finally,Warren'ssupportforargument(5)statedthattheseparatebutequal
doctrinewasirrelevanttothecaseofBrownv.BoardofEducationasitsfocuswas
publictransportationnotpubliceducation.Brownv.BoardofEducationsolelyfocused
onracialsegregatedpublicschools.
Inclosurethecourtdidnotneedtofurtherdiscusswhethersegregationviolated
theDueProcessClauseoftheFourteenthAmendment,asitdeniedequalprotection
underlaw,instilledasenseofinferiorityinAfricanAmericanstudents,andestablished
anintangiblelimitonAfricanAmericansthatalsolimitedtheprogressoftheeducation
system.Thecourtwentontorulethatracialsegregationinpublicschoolswas
unconstitutionalunanimously.
WiththatIbelieveWarren'sopinionwasdirect,strongandrelevantasheargued
thattoinheritpracticesofthepastwasinappropriatewithreasonthatthedevelopment
ofthecountryhadprogressedsincetheFourteenthAmendmentandPlessyv.
Fergusonwasadopted.Hisjudgmentwasfairinallaspectsbecausehedidnotjudge
onthefactthatitwasnotonlyhurtingAfricanAmericans,butalsotheprogressofthe
UnitedStates.