Browder v. Gayle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Browder v. Gayle |
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| Argued June 5, 1956 Decided November 13, 1956 |
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| Full case name | Aurelia Browder v. W. A. Gayle, Mayor of Montgomery |
| Citations | 1147 U.S. (more)
142 F. Supp. 707 - Dist. Court, MD Alabama, 1956
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| Prior history | Dist. Court, MD Alabama, 1956 |
| Holding | |
| The Supreme Court summarily affirmed the district court decision and in effect overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). | |
| Court membership | |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Per curiam opinion, joined by unanimous |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. XIV | |
Browder v. Gayle was an important U.S. court case in 1956. It challenged the laws that made Black and white people sit in separate sections on buses in Montgomery, Alabama. These laws were called "bus segregation".
A special court with three judges decided on June 5, 1956, that bus segregation was against the U.S. Constitution. They said it violated the Fourteenth Amendment, which promises equal treatment for everyone.
The city and state disagreed with this decision. They appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. On November 13, 1956, the Supreme Court agreed with the lower court. This meant bus segregation was officially illegal.
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What Was Browder v. Gayle?
Browder v. Gayle was a lawsuit filed in a federal court. It aimed to stop the unfair practice of separating people by race on public buses. This case was a big part of the Civil rights movement. It helped end segregation on buses in Montgomery, Alabama.
Why Was This Case Needed?
The case started after the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott. This boycott began when Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on a bus. Many Black citizens of Montgomery stopped riding buses to protest segregation.
Leaders of the civil rights movement wanted to challenge segregation laws in court. They needed a strong "test case" that could go directly to the federal courts. This would avoid delays in the Alabama state courts.
The Story of Claudette Colvin
Before Rosa Parks, a 15-year-old girl named Claudette Colvin was arrested in 1955. She also refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. Civil rights leaders thought about using her case. However, they decided to find other people to be part of a new lawsuit.
Claudette Colvin and several other women who faced unfair treatment on buses agreed to be plaintiffs. A plaintiff is someone who brings a lawsuit against another person or group. By filing a lawsuit in federal court, they could directly challenge the segregation laws.
The Court's Decision
The lawsuit, Browder v. Gayle, was officially filed on February 1, 1956. Aurelia Browder was a Montgomery housewife and one of the plaintiffs. W. A. Gayle was the mayor of Montgomery at the time.
On June 13, 1956, the three-judge court made its ruling. They stated that forcing Black and white passengers to sit separately on buses was against the U.S. Constitution. They said it took away people's right to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. The court also ordered Alabama and Montgomery to stop their segregated bus system.
What Happened Next?
The city and state appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. On November 13, 1956, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's ruling. This meant the decision to end bus segregation was final.
About a month later, on December 20, 1956, federal officials gave Mayor Gayle the official order. The very next day, the buses in Montgomery were desegregated. This was a huge victory for the Civil Rights Movement. It showed that unfair laws could be changed through the legal system.
