Diffusion Theory: Brown v. Board of Education

In 1954 the Supreme Court ruled that the segregation of schools was unconstitutional. This famous case is know as Brown v. Board of Education, it is considered a precedent setting case that changed history. 

Based on the Diffusion of Innovation Bell Curve the case of Brown v. Board of Education can go though this idea perfectly. The Pioneer of this idea would be Oliver Brown who filed a lawsuit against the board of education. 

This was after he took his daughter to an all white school and she was denied entry into the school. This was a huge issue in the black community because parents felt like their kids weren’t getting a good education at all black schools. 

This was Oliver Brown’s main reason for filing the lawsuit in the first place. He wanted a better education for his daughter and he didn’t want the color of their skin to get in the way of that. 

After the Supreme Court issues their ruling it caused an uproar in the school system. Some people were overjoyed at the decision while others were outraged. This not only meant a change in the legal system but it also meant a change in the social system in the south that was very much still “separate but equal”. 

One of the first early adopters of the Brown v. Board of education was Ruby Bridges. She was a little girl in Louisiana who was the first African American little girl to desegregate an elementary school in 1960. She attended William Frantz Elementary School which at the time was an all white school. 

She cased huge uproar in parents who didn’t want the school to be integrated. However, by her parents letting her go, she made history. Even in present times she still continues to be an activist. The school as also made a plaque that memorializes her bravery all those years ago. 

After Ruby Bridges, people began slowly integrating into schools. However it was dangerous because even though it may have been legal it was still dangerous because there were still racist ideals and views at the time. 

However in 1964 Congress passed a Civil Rights Act. This act encouraged integration as it made sure that colleges weren’t still trying to segregate schools. Universities like Florida State University felt his act as the act made it harder for schools to accept white student only. It made sure that every student had a fair shot at getting an education. 

More recently a school in Mississippi has been in the news for still not being desegregated. In 2016 the school was reported on because they still had a separate side of the school for white student and a separate part of the school for black students. The school had struggled with this for decades, an NPR article talks about the schools struggles to integrate.                                    Ruby Bridges Today vs. When She Was Little

They said “Just this week, a federal judge ordered a Mississippi school district to desegregate its schools.The case on which the judge was ruling was originally brought during the summer of 1965. The first named plaintiff, "Diane Cowan, minor," was a fourth-grader at the time. Now she's Diane Cowan White, a 57-year-old clerk with the U.S. Postal Service.”

In 2017 the school was reported on again as they try their best to integrate the students. The piece talks about the graduating student and their struggle with the issue. 

In today’s world some would argue that we are maybe the laggard bunch. For example most colleges struggle with diversity on campus. Especially with changing politics and different economic circumstances that effect some student.

The Diffusion Theory Bell Curve really allows you to dissect and look at the trends of many different issues. By looking at the Brown v. Board of Education decision though this lens it allows us to take a look at our world today and see where we fall in all of it. It also sheds light on the many ways in which we need to change as a society.