The Meaning of "Equal": Evolution of Racial Equality in the United States

The focus of this paper is the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown vs. Board of Education, the spark that reignited the long-time quest for racial equality and that challenged the United States to live up to its constitutionally-expressed principles. The case—and the judges and lawyers who made it happen—changed society and the law. For us, the case provides the quintessential example of how the rule of law can work in the United States to the benefit of the people. After all, the courts have the final word on the meaning of the Constitution.