Brown V. Board of Education: A Brief History with Documents

This new edition of Brown v. Board of Education addresses the origins, development, meanings, and consequences of the 1954 Supreme Court decision to end Jim Crow segregation. Using legal documents to frame the debates surrounding the case, Waldo Martin presents Brown v. Board of Education as an event, a symbol, and a key marker in the black liberation struggle. This new edition strikes a balance between political and social history, not only highlighting the constitutional aspects of the decision but also the social context and impact of the decision for African Americans. With an updated introductory essay and six new documents, several of them by African American authors, the second edition of the text brings this case into the larger context of African American history and civil rights and explores its long-term effects. New questions for consideration, as well as an updated chronology and bibliography, supplement the sources. Available in print and e-book formats.