Peterson v. City of Greenville facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peterson v. City of Greenville |
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| Argued November 6–7, 1962 Decided May 20, 1963 |
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| Full case name | Peterson v. City of Greenville |
| Citations | 373 U.S. 537 (more)
15
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| 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, 373 U.S., was a United States Supreme Court case that maintained the illegality of race-based segregation in public places. Ten African American student protesters were arrested and convicted in Greenville, South Carolina for attempting to purchase food at an S.H. Kress lunch counter. After the African American students arrived at the restaurant and sat at the lunch counter, the manager abruptly closed the store and instructed the protesters to leave. The manager and police argued that the protesters violated a state trespassing ordinance and were not arrested because of their race. While the Supreme Court of South Carolina maintained the students' guilt, the United States Supreme Court reversed the decision, citing that a "violation of the Fourteenth Amendment cannot be saved by attempting to separate the mental urges of the discriminators."
