Before Brown v. Board
Focusing on Details: Discussion Topic
All documents and text associated with this activity are printed below, followed by a worksheet for student responses.Introduction
Prior to the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, in which the Supreme Court ruled that school desegregation based on race was unconstitutional, there were several court cases related to school desegregation and Hispanic children.In 1945, nine years before the Brown v. Board decision, parents of Mexican-American children brought suit against several school districts in California in the case Mendez v. Westminster.
Read and analyze the petition with the parents' complaint below, and answer the questions that follow.
Name:
Class:
Class:
Worksheet
Before Brown v. Board
Focusing on Details: Discussion Topic
Examine the documents included in this activity and write your response in the space provided.
- Who are the petitioners in the case?
- Who are the respondents in the case?
- On what grounds do the petitioners state that their children are unable to attend certain schools?
- Specifically what rights do the petitioners state have been violated?
- What do the petitioners request be done to rectify the situation?
Your Response
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Activity Element
Petition
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Conclusion
Before Brown v. Board
Focusing on Details: Discussion Topic
Compare the Mendez v. Westminster case (1947) with what you know about the later Brown v. Board of Education case (1954).- What are some similarities?
- What are some differences?
- In Mendez, the federal judge (U.S. District Court) agreed with the parents and ordered the school districts to stop segregating students. He stated that there was no justification in the laws of California to segregate Mexican children and that doing so was a "clear denial of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment." Do you think the outcome of the Mendez case influenced the Brown case? Why or why not?
Your Response
Document
Petition
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Petition
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Petition
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Petition
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Petition
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Petition
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Petition
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Petition
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Petition
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