On May 17, 1954, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren issued a pivotal opinion in Brown v. Board of Education.

The ruling declared, "In the field of public education, the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called the day a "joyous daybreak to end the long night of enforced segregation."

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the historic Brown case with other civil rights and religious organizations.

Key News and Documents

► October 1952 |
Read the ACLU Amicus Brief in Brown Vs. Board of Education

► More Info | Learn more about Brown Vs. Board of Education

► More Info | Learn more about the ACLU's Racial Justice work

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