Brown v. Board

Document: Defender (Chicago), June 12, 1954. Cartoon titled “Supreme Court Decision,” 1954. What do you see in the cartoon?

• A hand stamping the words “Supreme Court Decision” onto a document

• A classroom full of students celebrating graduation

• A courthouse with an empty flagpole and no people

• A school bus driving through a small town

Document: Defender (Chicago), June 12, 1954. Cartoon titled “Supreme Court Decision,” 1954. What is the artist’s message?

• The Supreme Court ruling carries authority to enforce change in schools

• The ruling had no real effect on daily life

• Local officials, not courts, would decide on segregation

• The decision only applied to private schools

Document: Defender (Chicago), June 12, 1954. Cartoon titled “Supreme Court Decision,” 1954. Is this a positive or negative message of the decision, and why? Make sure you are detailed using information from the cartoon.

Document: Afro-American (Richmond), May 22, 1954. Cartoon captioned “A Supreme Court Bomb.” What do you see in the cartoon?

• A mushroom cloud labeled “Decision on Segregated Schools”

• A quiet school hallway with lockers

• A judge sitting calmly at a desk

• A peaceful playground with children

Document: Afro-American (Richmond), May 22, 1954. Cartoon captioned “A Supreme Court Bomb.” What is the artist’s message?

• The ruling on segregated schools was a powerful shock that would change society

• The ruling was small and easily ignored

• The decision only affected a single city

• The court supported continuing segregation

Document: Afro-American (Richmond), May 22, 1954. Cartoon captioned “A Supreme Court Bomb.” Is this a positive or negative message of the decision, and why? Make sure you are detailed using information from the cartoon.

Document: Democrat (Arkansas), May 22, 1954. What do you see in the cartoon?

• A large machine approaching farm workers as they hurry to move an old plow

• A school band marching at a parade

• A teacher writing homework on a chalkboard

• A bus picking up students for a field trip

Document: Democrat (Arkansas), May 22, 1954. What is the artist’s message?

• The Supreme Court decision is an unstoppable force making old segregation practices obsolete

• The decision encourages farmers to plant more crops

• Segregation will continue unchanged without outside pressure

• The ruling only affects farm equipment and not schools

Document: Democrat (Arkansas), May 22, 1954. Is this a positive or negative message of the decision, and why? Make sure you are specific to using information from the cartoon.

Document: Washington Post (Washington, DC), 1962. What do you see in the cartoon?

• A young African American girl with schoolbooks waiting by a closed gate while a man stands nearby

• A classroom with children receiving awards

• A courthouse celebrating the ruling

• A map of the United States with cities marked