Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for May 31, 2019
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
May 31, 2019: Sixty-four (64) years ago today—on May 31, 1955—the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Brown v. Board of Education II. One year after Brown v. Board of Education deemed school segregation to be unconstitutional, the Brown II ruling made local school districts responsible for implementing desegregation under the supervision of federal courts.[1] The court ordered local districts to desegregate with "all deliberate speed" instead of providing for a strict timeline or requiring immediate desegregation, which is what the NAACP wanted.[2]
The Brown rulings were defining legal moments adapting to a changing culture. Jackie Robinson had become the first black man to play major league baseball in 1947. Many others had followed by 1955, but societal change remained slow.
The Brown v. Board of Education case had originally reached the Supreme Court in 1952, but no decision was reached. Then, a new chief justice—Earl Warren—took office, and the case was heard again in 1953. In 1954, the Court ruled unanimously that segregated schools were inherently unequal and unconstitutional. However, the decision did not give instructions on how desegregation would be implemented, setting the stage for Brown II one year later.
The struggle continued long after that date as southern states repeatedly resisted Court orders. The issue of school integration became a flashpoint for many of the most significant moments during the 1960s and the civil rights era.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- May 30, 2019 – 40 appeals court judges appointed by President Trump as of May 15
- May 29, 2019 – 60 percent of voters believe the federal government is a bigger threat than the power of large corporations
- May 28, 2019 – 40 percent decline in whole milk consumption since 1975
- May 27, 2019 – 49 percent of Americans consider Memorial Day one of our most important holidays
- May 24, 2019 – 71 percent of Americans consider Memorial Day weekend the unofficial start of summer
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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