In Class Mock Trial- 11/15 (Brown vs. Board)

The issue at hand here is whether or not the 14th amendment was violated. Below I have arguments from each side of the case.

Brown: Separating the races is a direct violation of the equal protection law under the 14th amendment. The claim made was that whites were heavily favored by separating the schools. African Americans were sort of left behind which showed in the self esteem and potential future of the students because it was lower than that of the white students. The schools for the whites were far more advanced than the African American schools. Schools for African Americans were not funded nearly as much as the white schools were. African American schools lacked important facilities such as libraries, gyms and even a functional cafeteria. From a religious standpoint, segregation is wrong because we are made in the image of God. If we are all one in God, then no separation should ever by implemented. Precedents: McLaurin v. Oklahoma State

Board: Segregation has been in society since 1607 since the slave trade began. The cultures between the two races are just too different to blend them together. It is almost human nature for us to segregate ourselves to people that are similar to us. It is almost a comfort zone for use to separate ourselves. Many schools with one background tend to be more successful because everyone is the same. Integrated schools could cause conflicts between those that attend the schools. Stray away from Judicial Activism. "Changing the law now may be too soon and some parents may pull their own kids from school, hindering their education, because of the customs they were born with". Segregation allows each school to have their own funding. It is up to the public who to fund. By keeping them separate, each school will have access to their own funds which would benefit the students better. This also allows more jobs to be available to because there will be more positions. If schools are integrated, some people will have to lose their jobs which will hurt them financially.

Ruling/Summary: Separating public schools and universities is a direct violation of the 14th amendment. Schools should not be separated as it results in favoritism shown to a certain race and the other race will therefore be hindered. In the end, schools would no longer be separate. It is, and has been, very obvious that separate is not equal and should no longer be implemented.