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Plessy v. Ferguson
The US Supreme Court ruled that segregation was legal as long as the resources available to black and whites were equal. This coined the term separate but equal. This is a huge reason why education was segregated for such a long period of time. It also sets a precedent for future court cases including Brown v Board of Education. -
Mendez vs. Westminster and the California Board of Education
Five Mexican-American fathers challenged the practice of Mexican schools segregation in Los Angeles. The United States Court of Appeals For the Ninth Circuit, ruled that the forced segregation of Mexican Americans into separate schools was unconstitutional. -
Brown Vs. Board of Education of Topeka
This was a landmark Supreme Court case that ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was/is unconstitutional. This was a cornerstone of the civil rights movement and showed the separate but equal is not equal at all. This was a huge for multicultural education and allowing all students access to a good education. -
Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges became the first African American student to desegregate into a white school. She was the only student in her class because white parents would not let their children be in the same class as an African American. This was the first time an African American student went to a white school and it took a lot of bravery to do what she did. -
Civil Rights Act
The federal government finally has a means of enforcing desegregation. Title VI of the act barred the use of federal funding for segregated programs and schools. Obviously a huge part of multicultural education. Students were finally getting the education they deserve without the color of their skin having any effect on it. -
Bilingual Education Act
The first federal bill signed into law addressing the needs of students who's first language was not English. This was the start of minorities gaining an equal opportunity to education. Finally students who were coming to the US and did not speak English were getting the opportunity to learn English in school. -
Title IX of the Education Amendments
This amendment prohibited discrimination in school programs, activities or education access based on sex/gender in any institution that received federal funding. This was a huge step towards women's rights in an educational setting. Women were finally able to do what any man had the opportunity to do. -
Keyes v. School District No. 1, Denver, Colorado
The US Supreme Court ruled that segregation had affected a large part of the school system in Denver, Colorado. They ruled that the entire school district be desegregated, this was a key case in coining the term "de facto segregation". Another big moment in multicultural education. Even 10 years after segregation was ruled unconstitutional it was still happening in America. -
Lau v. Nichols
This lawsuit was filed by non-English speaking students that felt they were not being treated to the same education as their English speaking counterparts. The US Supreme Court based the decision on the 1964 Civil Rights Act and ruled that the students were not being treated equal. This was another huge step for multicultural education. It makes so much sense to have students from all background in the classroom to share their beliefs and cultures. -
Convention on the Rights of the Child
The Convention of Rights of the Child is the most rapidly and widley ratified international human rights treaty in history. The Convention changed the way the world views children, they were now treated as human beings with a distinct set of rights. This really changed how children are treated, people started realizing that they are not just mindless tiny humans, they are actual people.
