Bolling v. Sharpe
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| Bolling v. Sharpe | |
| Reference: 347 U.S. 497 | |
| Term: 1954 | |
| Important Dates | |
| Argued: December 10-11, 1952 Decided: May 17, 1954 | |
| Outcome | |
| Case restored | |
| Majority | |
| Earl Warren • Hugo Black • Stanley Reed • Felix Frankfurter • William Douglas • Robert H. Jackson • Harold Burton • Tom Clark • Sherman Minton | |
Bolling v. Sharpe was a case decided on May 17, 1954, by the United States Supreme Court holding that school segregation by race in the District of Columbia was unconstitutional. The case concerned the District of Columbia State Board of Education denying two petitions to racially integrate public schools. The Supreme Court restored the case after it had been dismissed by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, deciding this case in conjunction with Brown v. Board of Education.[1][2]
Why it matters: The Supreme Court's decision in this case established that racially segregating schools is unconstitutional. To read more about the impact of Bolling v. Sharpe click here.
Background
A group of parents petitioned the District of Columbia State Board of Education to racially integrate John Phillip Sousa Junior High School, but their petition was denied. The parents then sought admission for 11 African-American children to an all-white school the following year, which was again denied. A law professor from Howard University filed a lawsuit against the board, which was dismissed by the trial court. Following the dismissal, a writ of certiorari was granted by the Supreme Court.[1][2]
Oral argument
Oral argument was held between December 10, 1952, and December 11, 1952. The case was reargued between December 8, 1953, and December 9, 1953. The case was decided on May 17, 1954.[1]
Decision
The Supreme Court decided unanimously to restore the case after it had been dismissed by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered the opinion of the court.[2]
Opinions
Opinion of the court
Chief Justice Earl Warren, writing for the court, argued that racially segregating public schools violated the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Warren highlighted the decision made on the same day in Brown v. Board of Education, which argued that it was unconstitutional to maintain racially segregated schools in the states. He contended that the same ruling should be imposed on the federal government.[2]
| “ | In view of our decision that the Constitution prohibits the states from maintaining racially segregated public schools, it would be unthinkable that the same Constitution would impose a lesser duty on the Federal Government. We hold that racial segregation in the public schools of the District of Columbia is a denial of the due process of law guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.[3] | ” |
| —Earl Warren, majority opinion in Bolling v. Sharpe[2] | ||
Impact
| Federalism |
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| •Key terms • Court cases •Major arguments • State responses to federal mandates • Federalism by the numbers • Index of articles about federalism |
- See also: Brown v. Board of Education
Bolling v. Sharpe established that racially segregating schools in Washington, D.C. is unconstitutional. The decision in this case was made in conjunction with Brown v. Board of Education, which ruled that it is unconstitutional to segregate public schools in the states. The two cases had a combined impact of applying "the same anti-discrimination principles to state and federal governments."[1]
See also
External links
- Full text of case syllabus and opinions (Justia)
- Supreme Court of the United States
- Search Google News for this topic
Footnotes
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