In the Brown v. Board of Education case, historical standards of beauty were challenged, epitomized by the doll experiment that demonstrated the negative impact of segregation on Black children's self-perception. Even after the Supreme Court's ruling for desegregation, significant resistance was encountered, such as the infamous incident at Little Rock's Central High School. The fight for black suffrage also illustrated the complexity of achieving equal rights, with the free black community's right to vote opposed by moderates.
- The Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case was a landmark decision that reversed the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which had upheld 'separate but equal' policies.
- In Brown v. Board of Education, historical standards of beauty were challenged, notably through the doll experiment by Kenneth and Mamie Clark which showed that segregation and racial bias caused Black children to view white dolls as more desirable, indicating an internalized sense of inferiority.
- The NAACP utilized these findings to argue that separate was inherently unequal and therefore unconstitutional.
- The court agreed, which resulted in the desegregation of schools.
- However, reactions were mixed, and the aim for integration was met with resistance, most notably in the case of Little Rock's Central High School, where albeit President Dwight Eisenhower intervened, White governors would still close public schools to avoid integration.
- In regards to Black suffrage and civil government formation, it was noted that the Lincoln administration supported the free black community's right to vote.
- However, General Nathaniel P. Banks, influenced by moderates' concerns over unity, disregarded such orders and instead maintained a government that upheld slavery.
- The ongoing struggle for equal rights continued, as evidenced by the case of Elizabeth Eckford in Little Rock, who faced an angry crowd and legal barriers despite the Supreme Court's ruling.