Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward County
Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward County is a significant Supreme Court case that challenged the actions of a Virginia county in response to desegregation mandates following Brown v. Board of Education. After the Supreme Court's earlier rulings, Prince Edward County opted to close its public schools rather than integrate, instead providing financial support exclusively to private schools for white students. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled against these policies, emphasizing that the time for gradual desegregation had passed. Justice Hugo L. Black's opinion asserted that district courts had the authority to enforce desegregation and could intervene in the county’s financial practices to ensure compliance with integration mandates. This case marked a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, highlighting the complexities and resistance surrounding school desegregation efforts. Furthermore, dissenting opinions hinted at emerging divisions within the Court, foreshadowing future cases addressing integration and compliance. Overall, Griffin v. County School Board reflects the ongoing struggles and legal battles over civil rights and educational equity in the United States.
Griffin v. County School Board of Prince Edward County
Date: May 25, 1964
Citation: 180 U.S. 609
Issue: School integration and busing
Significance: The Supreme Court ruled against a Virginia county that closed public schools rather than desegregate.
Contrary to the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education II (1955), Prince Edward County, Virginia, followed state law, closed its public schools, and provided tax credits and tuition grants to whites-only private schools. The Supreme Court unanimously rejected the county’s policies. In the opinion for the Court, Justice Hugo L. Black stated that time had “run out” for the “all deliberate speed” in desegregating schools called for in Brown II. Black ruled that district courts could issue injunctions against the use of tuition tax credits and grants, control a noncomplying school board’s taxing and appropriating power, and reopen public schools on an integrated basis. Tom C. Clark and John M. Harlan II disagreed with the majority on these latter points, without saying why. This was the first hint of a break in the united wall that had been presented since the first Brown decision in 1954 and may have influenced the somewhat more guarded language used in Green v. County School Board of New Kent County (1968).
