Federalism Separate by Equal

There are still many questions concerning on what exactly does federalism do, and for being against discrimination - what does it do exactly to improve today’s world views? Federalism is all about taking away some power from state governments and giving it to the federal government. This is a change of balance of power of these two different levels of government is federalism, where the Civil Rights Act of 1964 relating to federalism. What does this have to do with the Civil Rights Act? Well, the act increased the federal government power over the state governments by enforcing the 14th amendment; ending the Jim Crow law of segregation.

Segregation has always been a problem and messes with folks physiologically as feeling inferior to others. That is what fellow African Americans felt, being inferior and feeling inferior when having “equal” rights as all those around them. Equality could not have been achieved without integrating the racially segregated schools. There were no real equality produced from the “Separate but Equal” doctrine, because it may seem equal but in actuality it is exclusion. The word “equal” comes out so casually when you are not the person experiencing the discrimination. In the film, Separate But Equal (1991), there was a scene where children’s, students, kids of colored was asked … “Which one is the ugly doll”? Which one is the pretty doll”? These questions asked to similar age and qualifications because of the color of their skin sets a physiological reminder of inferiority solely based on their status in the community that affects their views on the world around them. Segregation of white and colored children in public schools does not have any equality because the sanction of the law, the education that is being delivered is not all that can be delivered and can be deprive them of some benefits compared to those in a white school.

Separate But Equal (1991) had many scenes where they questioned upon going to the Supreme Court or setting the matter into their own hands, instead, of the Supreme Court. From the looks of it all, white folks were afraid of the Supreme Court and the ruling of the aftermath that could change their world. In one of the court rooms itself, NAACP lawyer Thurgood Marshall simply stated that segregated schools is unequal because of segregation itself, even when facilities of segregation were equal.

The Court in Brown influenced the currents of history by setting an eye opening to the world that the segregation was hurting the country’s interest. With the racial segregation between the race of color drawing condemnation on the United States, the Soviet Union pointed out to racial segregation in the United States in front of the world. But racial integration begun before the Brown case in 1954, where Jackie Robinson became the first African-American baseball player and soon many other African-Americans joined Robinson.

The Supreme Court’s decision on Brown case had a great positive impact but because of the “with all deliberate speed” many of those who resisted against desegregation slowly lagged and dragged, instead of immediately integration. The Supreme Court failed to order immediate desegregation and implemented gradually because of the “with all deliberate speed.”

It was believed that with the “Separate but Equal” rule being approved for over 50 years, that it would not be right to those in the south. With the immediate action of desegregation would cause more uproar and with even more resistance against desegregation. Many reacted after the Courts order of schools desegregation following the Brown case – the whole school system was closed and school for whites were going to “private” schools while for a few years Black students received no education in their county at all. With the public support, the Court needed to speak with unity as how the immediate or “gradual” approach was going to take order for the decision of integration.

Consider you, your family, your friends, and your whole culture being discriminated against for 300 years … makes you think a lot on the whole process on getting to where you are today. In the film, Separate but Equal (1991), Thurgood Marshall emphasis on the history of African-American people, that with the Declaration of Independence being established, they are not treated equally. Explaining on that they have come from slave boats for 300 years now and it being the year of 1952 (the year the film take place) yet segregation and discrimination still exists in their time. Upon the middle of the night, when your house is burning down, and those who works for the state tells you they cannot put your house out because of “crossing the line” and because of the color of your skin … Makes you think on why such an ugly mindset exist.

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