Brown v. Board of Commissioners of the City of Chattanooga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brown v. Board of Commissioners of the City of Chattanooga |
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| Court | United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee |
| Full case name | Dr. Tommie Brown v. Board of Commissioners of the City of Chattanooga |
| Decided | August 8, 1989 |
| Docket nos. | CIV-1-87-388 |
| Citation(s) | 722 F. Supp. 380 |
| Court membership | |
| Judge(s) sitting | Robert Allan Edgar |
Brown v. The Board of Commissioners of the City of Chattanooga was an important court case in 1989. It changed how leaders were elected in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The old election system was unfair and went against the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
This law helps make sure everyone has a fair chance to vote and be represented. Twelve citizens filed the case in November 1987. They wanted a system where all people, especially minority groups, had an equal voice in Chattanooga.
Contents
Why Was the Chattanooga Election System Unfair?
How Did Voting Change After the Civil War?
After the Civil War, African Americans started to get involved in city government. They held many positions in departments like fire, education, and police. For example, in 1881, seven out of twelve Chattanooga policemen were African American.
Some white citizens worried about this political involvement. They decided to change the city's rules. New rules included a poll tax, which meant people had to pay to vote. There were also strict voting tests and early registration requirements.
In 1901, the state of Tennessee changed Chattanooga's city rules again. This led to African Americans being removed from political life.
What Was the At-Large Voting System?
Chattanooga's government system was set up in 1839. It used an "at-large" voting process. This meant that people voted for leaders who represented the entire city, not just specific areas.
The city's five-member board was mostly white. Candidates were chosen by a majority vote. However, most voters were white or owned property. This system made it hard for the city's African American population, which was 31.69% in 1980, to have fair representation.
The city's leaders, called Commissioners, held important jobs. These included Mayor, chief of Finances, and heads of Fire and Police, Education and Health, Public Utilities, and Public Works. Since they were elected by the whole city, they mainly represented the white majority.
Even after 1971, white leaders continued to dominate the Commission. John Franklin was the only African American elected to the board. He was reelected until the system ended. From 1955 to 1988, only fifteen African American candidates tried to get elected to the Commission. John Franklin was the only one who succeeded.
What Happened in the Brown v. Board of Commissioners Case?
How Did the Lawsuit Begin?
The problem was first brought up by Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin, Annie Thomas, and Maxine Cousin. They were leaders of a group called Concerned Citizens for Justice. They took their concerns to the ACLU in Atlanta.
The lawsuit was filed by twelve citizens, including Tommie Brown, Leamon Pierce, and Lorenzo Ervin. The people they sued, called the defendants, were Chattanooga's Board of Commissioners. This included the mayor, Gene Roberts, and other commissioners like John Franklin.
What Was the Court's Decision?
The lawsuit was filed in 1987. It argued that the voting system unfairly kept African Americans from having political representation. U.S. District Judge R. Allan Edgar took on the case.
In 1989, Judge Edgar decided that the "at-large" voting system was illegal. It violated the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. This law ensures that minority voters can achieve political representation.
After the Brown v. Board of Commissioners of Chattanooga case, the city made big changes. They stopped using the "at-large" voting system. They also ended the Commission and stopped non-resident property owners from voting.
Instead, Chattanooga created nine new districts. These districts represent different neighborhoods and people. In 1991, the city switched to a mayor-council form of government. Now, leaders are elected by these nine separate voting districts. At least three of these districts have a majority African American population.
What Was the Outcome for Chattanooga?
How Did the New Government System Help?
The old Commission was replaced by a mayor-council government. Now, Chattanooga's city council has members from each of the nine districts. These members include:
- Chip Henderson (District 1, European-American)
- Jerry Mitchell (District 2, European-American)
- Ken Smith (District 3, European-American)
- Larry Grohn (District 4, European-American)
- Russell Gilbert (District 5, African-American)
- Carol Berz (District 6, European-American)
- Chris Anderson (District 7, European-American)
- Moses Freeman (District 8, African-American)
- Yusuf Hakeem (District 9, African-American)
The new council members better represent all the people and issues in their individual districts. The city's population is about 36% African American. The current council has six European-American members and three African-American members. This is a much fairer representation than before.
