In this instance, what interested me, despite the political aspects, was the concept of race being the defining and overruling factor in deciding both a court case and somebodies right to education.
On this day in 1954, the Unites States Supreme Court, with an overwhelmingly unanimous vote, declared that racial segregation in public educational facilities was unconstitutional. The 'Brown vs. Board of Education' case centred around Linda Brown, an African American girl who had been denied admission to her local elementary school in Topeka, Kansas, just because of the colour of her skin.
It's so interesting to read instances like this, where we get to see humanities jaded past, for me especially in cases where it has been about racial discrimination. I don't know why but I just like reading about these instances and finding out more about why people decided that skin colour was going to be something that determined whether a person was a person or not. I mean who was the first person to clearly say that skin colour matter?
And although we try to say that we live in a modern error where no racism occurs, I still think there does a little bit. We don't mean to but it's still there. It's just something that happens, perhaps not as badly or intensely as did in previous years, but still.
Being racist is not a good thing. But why do we put so much weight into it? Why do we make such a big deal about it?
Hopefully, if I keep reading, I'll fine out tell you.
Image available: https://rcclibrary.wikispaces.com/Brown_v._Board_of_Education
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