1969 – Supreme Court Rules on School Segregation (Alexander v. Holmes)

On May 14, 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education, a case that challenged delays in desegregating public schools in the South. The case arose after many Southern districts used “freedom-of-choice” plans to delay real integration, even 15 years after Brown v. Board of Education. By fall of 1969, the Court ruled that desegregation must proceed “at once,” ending the era of deliberate delays. Though the official decision was handed down later that year, May 14 marks a turning point in the fight for educational equality. The decision forced dozens of school districts to implement genuine integration plans, reshaping Southern education. This case reinforced that justice delayed was justice denied, and it highlighted the need for federal enforcement in the face of state resistance.