Swann V. Charlotte

This court case is about a man named Swann, who wants to better his own kids and other kids by letting them go to a white school (where there are better academics). It is a case about desegregation of public schools. Brown V. Board says that segregated schools are illegal. All citizens have equal protect of the law according the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. By not allowing kids to go, they are not "upholding the Constitution". Bussing could easily allow integration by getting African Americans to white schools.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System has been arguing that the schools are not close to each other. So if they integrate, it will cost more money because the bus will have to travel farther to pick up African American kids. This would cost more money on gas and service that would have to come out of the school's budget. Also, by having integrated schools, white neighborhoods would become less attractive. Also, the Constitution does not directly say that "African American children get the right to go to school with white children".

I thought that it was really clever of Gio to use Jermey as a prop. It was more realistic considering that there are real witnesses in a court case. It was unique and something that was not done before but still proved the point Gio was trying to make.

This case was similar to Brown v. Board of Education. They both involved the want to integrate public schools. Swann seemed to almost be an extension of Brown. However, I still find the case interesting since Brown was ruled many years before Swann yet still there has not been a lot of progress or change. Although the Supreme Court ruled "separate was not equal", state governments seem to be the problem in not wanting to cooperate

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