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Peterson v. City of Greenville
Seal of the United States Supreme Court.svg
Argued November 6–7, 1962
Decided May 20, 1963
Full case name Peterson v. City of Greenville
Citations 373 U.S. 537 (more)
15
Prior history Supreme Court of South Carolina, State v. Randolph et al., 239 S.C. 79
{{{Holding}}}
Court membership
Case opinions
Majority Harlan, joined by unanimous

Peterson v. City of Greenville was an important case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1963. This case made it clear that separating people based on their race in public places was against the law. It focused on a group of ten African American students in Greenville, South Carolina.

These students tried to buy food at a lunch counter inside an S.H. Kress store. But because of their race, they were not served. The store manager quickly closed the lunch counter and told the students to leave. Police then arrested the students.

The manager and police said the students were arrested for trespassing. They claimed it was not because of their race. The state's highest court agreed with the arrests. However, the U.S. Supreme Court disagreed. It said that rules breaking the Fourteenth Amendment could not be allowed.

What Was the Case About?

This case was part of the larger Civil Rights Movement. During this time, many people fought against segregation. Segregation meant that Black and white people were kept separate in many public places. This included schools, buses, and restaurants.

In Greenville, South Carolina, like many other places, stores had separate areas. Lunch counters often served only white customers. Black customers were usually not allowed to sit and eat.

The Sit-In Protest

On August 9, 1960, ten African American high school students decided to protest this unfair rule. They walked into the S.H. Kress store in downtown Greenville. They sat down at the "whites only" lunch counter. This type of protest was called a "sit-in."

The store manager, Fred Kress, told the students they would not be served. He then announced that the lunch counter was closed. He asked the students to leave the store. When they refused, police were called.

The students were arrested for trespassing. This means they were accused of being on private property without permission. They were later found guilty in a local court.

The Court's Decision

The students appealed their case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. They argued that their rights were violated. They said the city of Greenville had rules that supported segregation. These rules made it impossible for the store to serve them, even if it wanted to.

On May 20, 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court made its decision. The Court ruled that the city of Greenville's actions were unconstitutional. The city had ordinances, or local laws, that required separate eating places for Black and white people.

The Supreme Court said that even if the store claimed the students were trespassing, the city's segregation laws were the real problem. The Court stated that a state cannot force segregation and then punish people for protesting it. This decision helped to end segregation in public places across the United States.

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