Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Political Cartoon Analysis

Analyze the cartoons in terms of their relation to the Brown v. Board of Education case.

  1. What do you see in the cartoon? Make a list.
     
  2. Which of the items on the list from Question 1 are symbols? What does each stand for?
     
  3. What is the artist's message in the cartoons? Is there a political bias in the cartoons? Who would agree with the message? Who would disagree?

Chronicle (San Francisco)
May 18, 1954

©The San Francisco Chronicle.
Reprinted by permission.

Democrat (Arkansas)
May 22, 1954

John Kennedy Arkansas Democrat.
Reprinted by permission.

click the image to enlarge click the image to enlarge

Defender (Chicago)
June 12, 1954

Reprinted by permission from the Chicago Defender.

Afro-American (Richmond)
May 22, 1954

AFRO-American Archives & Research Center. Reprinted by permission.

click the image to enlarge click the image to enlarge



Resources
About landmarkcases.org
 
Teaching Recommendations
Based on Your Time

 
Background Summary
and Questions

• • •
Reading Level
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Reading Level
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Reading Level
 
Diagram of How the Case Moved Through the Court System
 
Biographies
Earl Warren
Thurgood Marshall
 
Key Excerpts from the Majority Opinion
Brown I

 
Key Excerpts from the Majority Opinion
Brown II

 
Full Text of the Majority Opinion

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Activities
    The Case
Does Treating People Equally Mean Treating Them the Same?
 
Classifying Arguments for Each Side of the Case
 

How a Dissent Can Presage a Ruling: The Case of Justice Harlan
 

Immediate Reaction to the Decision: Comparing Regional Media Coverage
 
Political Cartoon Analysis

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    After the Case
All Deliberate Speed?
 
Case Study of Integration -- Little Rock
 
If You Were a Supreme Court Justice. . .
 
Was the Promise of Brown Fulfilled?


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Additional Resources
The Smithsonian's Separate is Not Equal: Brown v. Board of Education
 
Mix It Up

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