Question

To separate [African American children] from others . . . solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority . . . that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone. . . . The impact is greater when it has the [approval] of the law, for the policy of separating the races is usually interpreted as denoting the inferiority of [African Americans]. A sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn. Which statement best summarizes this passage?

Answer 1

The correct answer is A.

This passage is part of the reasoning included in the landmark decision reached by the US Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. The enactment of this decision meant the end of segregation in public schools in the US and declared unconstitutional the "separate but equal" lemma that had governed the system.

Segregation had been considered constitutional under the lemma, as it was believed that the provision of rights guaranteed by the First Amendment was guaranteed for every US kid, as long as the educational facilities were equal in terms of quality, no matter whether white and black children were separated or not.

The decision reached in Brown v. Board of Education overturned the previous convictions, providing the justifications contained in the passage provided in this question, and declared segregation to be unconstitutional and urged schools to remove such system.

Answer 2

A. Segregation of schools harms African American children.