Green v. County School Board of New Kent County facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Green v. County School Board of New Kent Co. |
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| Argued April 3, 1968 Decided May 27, 1968 |
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| Full case name | Charles C. Green et al. v. County School Board of New Kent County, Virginia et al. |
| Citations | 391 U.S. 430 (more)
88 S. Ct. 1689; 20 L. Ed. 2d 716
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| Prior history | 382 F.2d 338 (4th Cir. 1967), cert. granted, 389 U.S. 1003. |
| Holding | |
| New Kent County's freedom of choice desegregation plan did not comply with the dictates of Brown v. Board of Education and was therefore unconstitutional. | |
| Court membership | |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Brennan, joined by unanimous |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const., amend. XIV | |
Green v. County School Board of New Kent County was a very important case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1968. This case was about ending segregation in schools, especially how some school districts tried to avoid it.
The Court looked at "freedom of choice" plans. These plans let students choose which school to attend. But in New Kent County, Virginia, this plan did not truly end segregation. The Supreme Court decided that the school board had to create new plans. These plans needed to truly make schools non-racial and fully integrated. This case was a big step after the famous Brown v. Board of Education ruling.
Green v. County School Board also set up five important things, called the "Green factors." These factors helped courts check if schools were really desegregating. They looked at:
- Teachers
- School staff
- School buses and travel
- After-school activities
- School buildings and grounds
Contents
Why the Case Was Important
The Brown v. Board of Education Ruling
In 1954, the Supreme Court made a huge decision in Brown v. Board of Education. They said that separating students by race in public schools was against the law. This was because it violated the 14th Amendment.
A year later, in a follow-up case called Brown II, the Court told local courts to make sure schools ended segregation. They said this should happen "with all deliberate speed." However, this phrase caused problems. Many people in the Southern United States used it to slow down integration. They said it meant they didn't have to integrate quickly.
New Kent County's Schools
New Kent County, Virginia, had a history of separating students by race. In the 1960s, about half of the people living there were African American. The county had only two schools:
- The New Kent School, mostly for white students.
- The George W. Watkins School, mostly for black students.
Even school buses traveled routes that went through the whole county. This meant buses for white students and buses for black students often passed each other.
Resisting Integration
After the Brown rulings, Virginia passed laws to resist integration. This was called "massive resistance." One law, the Pupil Placement Act, took away power from local school boards. It gave a state board the power to assign students to schools.
Under this law, students usually stayed at their old school. If they wanted to switch, they had to apply to the state board. Almost all white families chose the white school. Almost all African American families chose the black school. By 1964, no student in New Kent County had successfully switched schools.
The U.S. Congress then passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law said that schools that refused to end segregation could lose their money from the government. This pushed school districts to change.
The Court Cases
The "Freedom of Choice" Plan
In 1965, a lawsuit was filed against the New Kent County school board. To avoid losing federal money, the board adopted a "freedom of choice" plan. This plan allowed most students to choose which school to attend each year. Students who didn't choose were sent to their old school.
In 1965, 35 black students enrolled in the New Kent school, which used to be all white. The local court approved this plan. Over the next two years, more black students enrolled in the formerly all-white school. But these students often faced harassment from white students. Teachers and staff often ignored this problem.
Appeals and Problems
The case went to the U.S. Court of Appeals. This court also approved the "freedom of choice" plan. However, they asked for a clearer plan for teachers. Even with the plan, no white students chose to attend the all-African-American school. Also, 85% of the African American students still attended the all-Black school. This showed that the "freedom of choice" plan was not working well.
Green at the Supreme Court
The case finally reached the Supreme Court. Lawyers from the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund argued for the students. They included important civil rights lawyers like Samuel Wilbert Tucker and Oliver W. Hill.
The Court saw that "freedom of choice" plans often didn't work to truly desegregate schools. They said that New Kent County's plan was unconstitutional. This was because it failed to quickly and effectively end the dual school system. The Court said that the time for "mere 'deliberate speed' has run out." This meant schools had to act much faster.
Impact of Green and the "Green Factors"
To follow the Supreme Court's order, New Kent County changed its schools. Instead of separating by race, they separated by grade level. The George Watkins School became an elementary school. The New Kent School became a high school.
For many years after Green, courts used the five "Green factors" to check school systems. These factors helped make sure schools were truly integrated. The factors were:
- Teachers: Were teachers of all races teaching at all schools?
- Staff: Was the school staff diverse?
- Transportation: Were bus routes fair for all students?
- Extracurricular activities: Were all students able to join activities?
- Facilities: Were school buildings and resources equal for all students?
These factors helped courts make sure that schools were not just avoiding segregation. They had to actively work to create truly equal and integrated schools.
50th Anniversary Celebration
In May 2018, New Kent County, Virginia, celebrated 50 years since the Green ruling. Events took place to remember this important case. Calvin Coolidge Green, the father of the main student in the case, was honored. He was a pastor, soldier, educator, and civil rights activist.
