Social Scientists for Social Justice: Making the Case against Segregation (Critical America Series)

In one of the twentieth century's landmark Supreme Court cases, Brown v. Board of Education, social scientists such as Kenneth Clark helped to convince the Supreme Court Justices of the debilitating psychological effects of racism and segregation. John P. Jackson, Jr., examines the well-known studies used in support of Brown, such as Clark’s famous “doll tests,” as well as decades of research on race which lead up to the case. Jackson reveals the struggles of social scientists in their effort to impact American law and policy on race and poverty and demonstrates that without these scientists, who brought their talents to bear on the most pressing issues of the day, we wouldn’t enjoy the legal protections against discrimination we may now take for granted. For anyone interested in the history and legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, this is an essential book. The study of race between the wars Effect of World War II on study of racial prejudice The American Jewish Congress Pre-Brown litigation Recruiting expert witnesses Testimony of the experts Supreme court hearings and decision, Brown I Supreme court hearings and decision, Brown II Committee of social science consultants. In 1951, when the attorneys of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People-Legal Defense and Education Fund (NAACP-LDEF) began litigation to desegregate primary and secondary schools in the United States, they called on social scientists for help. Kenneth Clark's demonstration that Black children preferred white dolls to black ones was one of many studies to show the debilitating psychological effects of racism and segregation. Clark and other social scientists helped to break segregation.