Internet Resources

The resources on this page are categorized into three parts: Original Documents, Legal Web Sites and General Web Sites. The original documents section is a fascinating compilation of links with original images of photographs, opinions, letters and other materials having to do with Brown. The Legal Web Sites section is a listing of the sites that offer legal commentary on the opinion. The General Web Sites section is a small listing of informative and comprehensive sites with good information.

Original Documents:

The following web sites feature Brown v. Board of Education documents in original image format: 

The Supreme Court Historical Society has pictures of Linda Brown and plaintiffs in school desegregation cases at http://www.supremecourthistory.org/02_history/subs_history/02_c13.html .

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Library has posted documents such as the original complaint and court order filed with the U.S. District Court in 1951, as well as, letters and memoranda related to the suits. See http://www.eisenhower.utexas.edu/dl/Civil_Rights_BrownvsBoE/BrownvsBOEfiles.html . Also see http://www.eisenhower.utexas.edu/dl/littlerock/littlerockdocuments.html for documents on the ensuing Little Rock era.

See National Public Radio , “The Supreme Court and 'Brown v. Board of Ed.': The Deliberations behind the Landmark 1954 Ruling,” at http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1537409.html for images of the draft opinion and implementation decree written by Chief Justice Earl Warren.

The Library of Congress has posted letters from Supreme Court Justices William O. Douglas, Harold H. Burton and Felix Frankfurter to Chief Justice Earl Warren in support of the decision he wrote in Brown v. Board of Education. Go to http://memory.loc.gov and click the search button. Search for "brown v board of education" and choose the William O. Douglas note. You may also search the Prints and Photographs catalog at the Library of Congress for images available for online viewing at http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html (use search terms such as ‘brown v board of education' and ‘school desegregation'). For more information, see the note on the Brown v.Board of Education web site at the Library of Congress under General Web Sites below.

U.S. National Archives and Records Administration's “Teaching with Documents Lesson Plan: Documents Related to Brown v. Board of Education ,” at http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/brown_v_board_documents/brown_v_board.html has images of the original opinion, related dissent, and correspondence from President Eisenhower.

The University of Michigan Library's “Brown v. Board of Education” page at http://www.lib.umich.edu/exhibits/brownarchive/ includes access to the oral arguments and photographs from the Brown case.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has links to historic articles and photographs of the Central High School integration at http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/central/.

The Brown v. Board opinion can be found on the federal government's Our Documents web site, http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=87&page=pdf.

 

Legal Web Sites:

See the following web sites for legal information pertaining to the Brown case:

American Bar Association, ABA Commission on the 50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education and Dialogue on Brown v. Board of Education.

Howard University School of Law, Brown@50: Fulfilling the Promise.

NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Commemorating Brown v. Board of Education at Fifty.

Street Law & the Supreme Court Historical Society's Landmark Cases, Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

Washburn University School of Law et al., Black, White and Brown.

Yale Law School and Howard University School of Law jointly-sponsored conference, The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education: Reflections on the Last Fifty Years (a link to the video of the conference is available on the web site).

Yale University, Brown vs Board of Education / What Brown v. Board of Education Should Have Said

 

General Web Sites:

The Library of Congress' Brown v. Board of Education website at http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/afam/afam-brown.html is a chronological listing of materials from its digital collection that are related to the history of African Americans in the United States and the events that led to Brown. Beginning with the Dred Scott decision in 1857, it provides information and links up to and including the Brown II decision of 1955.

The University of Michigan Library, Brown v. Board of Education.

NAACP, Brown 50 Years and Beyond: Promise and Progress.

National Education Association, NEA Celebrates 50th Anniversary of 'Brown v. Board of Education.'

National Public Radio, Brown v. Board of Education

Topeka Capital-Journal Online, Brown vs. Board (with archive of newspaper articles from 1951 to 1956, media, photographs, etc.).

 

As always, when seeking documents and other information on the internet, it is very important to use authoritative web sites and portals. Governmental, educational and other proven sites should be consulted for the best resources and information. For guidance on documents available on the internet, and other reference sources, please feel free to contact the Reference Department at libref@law.georgetown.edu , call 202-662-9140, or see our web site at http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/staff/ps/reference/index.cfm .