Timeline of Brown v. Board of Education

Timeline of Brown v. Board of Education In 1954, in a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state laws segregating public schools for African-American and white children was unconstitutional. The case, known as Brown v. Board of Education overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling, which was handed down 58 years earlier. The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling was a landmark case that cemented the inspiration for the Civil Rights Movement.   The case was fought through the legal arm of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) which had been fighting civil rights battles since the 1930s. 1866 The Civil Rights Act of 1866 is established to protect the civil rights of African-Americans. The act guaranteed the right to sue, own property, and contract for work. 1868 The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified. The amendment grants the privilege of citizenship to African-Americans. It also guarantees that a person cannot be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. It also makes it illegal to deny a person equal protection under the law. 1896 The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in an 8 to 1 vote that the â€Å"separate but equal† argument presented in the Plessy v. Ferguson case. The Supreme Court rules that if â€Å"separate but equal† facilities were available for both African-American and white travelers there was no violation of the 14th Amendment. Justice Henry Billings Brown wrote the majority opinion, arguing The object of the [Fourteenth] amendment was undoubtedly to enforce the equality of the two races before the law, but in the nature of things it could not have been intended to abolish distinctions based upon color, or to endorse social, as distinguished from political, equality[...] If one race be inferior to the other socially, the Constitution of the United States cannot put them upon the same plane. The sole dissenter, Justice John Marshal Harlan, interpreted the 14th Amendment in another way contending that â€Å"our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens.† Harlan’s dissenting argument would support later arguments that segregation was unconstitutional.   This case becomes the basis for legal segregation in the United States. 1909 The NAACP is established by W.E.B. Du Bois and other civil rights activists. The purpose of the organization is to fight racial injustice through legal means. The organization lobbied to legislative bodies to create anti-lynching laws and eradicate injustice in its first 20 years. However, in the 1930s, the NAACP established a Legal Defense and Education Fund to fight legal battles in court. Headed by Charles Hamilton Houston, the fund created a strategy of dismantling segregation in education.   1948   Thurgood Marshall’s strategy of fighting segregation is endorsed by the NAACP Board of Directors.  Marshall’s strategy included tackling segregation in education. 1952 Several school segregation cases- which had been filed in states such as Delaware, Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington DC- are combined under Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. By combining these cases under one umbrella shows the national significance. 1954 The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rules to overturn Plessy v. Ferguson. The ruling argued that the racial segregation of public school is a violation of the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. 1955 Several states refuse to implement the decision. Many even consider it, â€Å"[N]ull, void, and no effect† and begin establishing laws arguing against the rule. As a result, the U.S. Supreme Court issues a second ruling, also known as Brown II. This ruling mandates that desegregation must occur â€Å"with all deliberate speed.† 1958 Arkansas’ governor, as well as lawmakers, refuse to desegregate schools. In the case, Cooper v. Aaron  the U.S. Supreme Court remain steadfast by arguing that states must obey its rulings as it is an interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.

Live Oak - Description, Planting and Growing

Live Oak - Description, Planting and Growing Live Oak Introduction A large, sprawling, picturesque tree, usually graced with Spanish moss and strongly reminiscent of the Old South.  Live oak is one of the broadest spreaders of the Oaks, providing large areas of deep, inviting shade. Live oak is the state tree of Georgia. Reaching 60 to 80 feet in height with a 60 to 100-foot spread and usually possessing many sinuously curved trunks and branches, live oak is an impressive sight for any large-scale landscape. An amazingly durable American native, it can measure its lifetime in centuries if properly located and cared for in the landscape. It is also often wrongly planted in small landscapes and right-of-ways where it is doomed to heavy pruning and ultimate removal. The live oaks scientific name is  Quercus virginiana  and pronounced like  Ã‚  KWERK-us ver-jin-ee-AY-nuh.The trees most used common name is  Southern Live Oak  and in the family Fagaceae. It grows inUSDA hardiness zones  7B through 10B, is native to the North American south and generally available in many areas within its hardiness range.  The oak is generally used in wide tree lawns but adapts well in large parking lot islands. It is a magnificent specimen tree in open landscapes. Michael Durr in Manual of Woody Landscape Plants says it is a massive, picturesque, wide-spreading, evergreen tree with magnificent horizontal and arching branches that form a broad rounded canopy; a single tree constitutes a garden. A Botanical Description of Live Oak As I have mentioned, live oak has a moderate height but a spread to  120 feet. The live oak crown uniformity is a  canopy that is  symmetrical and  with a regular (or smooth) outline and all  individuals have more or less identical broad crown forms. A live oaks crown approximates round but has a definite look of spreading vertically. The crown can be considered dense but its growth rate is medium to slow which means that it can only become a prime tree specimen over many decades. Live oak branches will continuously droop as the tree grows and will require pruning for vehicular or pedestrian clearance beneath the canopy. This is why a small urban median between moderately wide avenues will make for problems. The oak does have a showy trunk and should be grown on a single leader with substantial height. The live oak leaf is thickly green and persistent through the winter. The leaf arrangement is alternate, the leaf type is simple and the leaf margin is entire. Managing a Live Oak in the Landscape A live oak tree will grow  in part shade/part sun and in full sun. It tolerates many soils including  clay, loam, sand, acidic, alkaline and  occasionally wet but best on  well-drained soils. The tree has a high tolerance of drought, a high tolerance of salty atmosphere and a moderate tolerance for salt in the soil. You will need to prune this tree regularly to develop strong structure when in a managed landscape that has vehicular traffic. The tree is extremely resistant to breakage and will not be a problem in any but the strongest of storms. Live oak is usually pest-free. Occasionally mites infest the foliage, but they are of little concern in the landscape. There is some concern for a newly discovered Texas live oak decline. Galls cause homeowners much concern but should not. These trees  suffer with many types of galls which  can be on the leaves or twigs of Quercus virginiana. Most galls are harmless so chemical controls are not suggested. Live Oak In Depth Once established, the live oak will thrive in almost any location within its natural range and is very resistant to wind and its resulting damage. Live Oak is a tough, enduring tree that will respond with vigorous growth to plentiful moisture on well-drained soil. Like other oaks, care must be taken to develop a strong branch structure early in the life of the tree. Be sure to eliminate multiple trunks and branches which form a narrow-angle with the trunk as these are likely to split from the tree as it grows older. Be sure that an adequate landscape area is given to live oak as roots will grow under curbs and sidewalks when planted in confining soil spaces. When visiting large southern coastal cities (Mobile, Savannah) you will these trees thriving in these urban settings and their ability to lift sidewalks, curbs and driveways. This is the cost many are willing to pay for a live oak urban forest. One of the biggest problems with live oak in cities, towns and private landscapes is e lack of pruning. This tree can live for a very long time and it is important to develop proper trunk and branch structure early in the life of the tree. Following planting  in the landscape, prune the tree each year for the first three years, then every five years to age 30. This program will help ensure that the tree develops into a strong, long-lived fixture in the community, and will help develop the 14 to 15 foot tall vehicle clearance needed for planting along city streets. Source Dirr, Michael A. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propogation and Uses. Bonnie Dirr (Illustrator), Margaret Stephan (Illustrator), et al., Revised edition, Stipes Pub Llc, January 1, 1990.