Alexander v Holmes

October 29, 1969

In a per curiam decision, the Supreme Court held that it was the obligation of every school district to immediately terminate any and all segregated school systems and to only operate integrated schools. Furthermore, the Supreme Court noted that the Court of Appeals should not have allowed any more motions for additional time to desegregate because, in the Court’s opinion, the standard of allowing “all deliberate speed” for desegregation was no longer constitutionally permissible.

Their School Integrated But Racial Divisions Remained: 'We Missed Knowing Each Other'

Fifty years ago, the Supreme Court ordered school boards across the South to desegregate in the little-known but milestone case Alexander v. Holmes. Eli Brown and Natalie Guice Adams met as kids when their Louisiana school first integrated, and later went on to become co-valedictorians of their high school.

Treat All With Dignity

In 1969, the newly integrated football team in this small Louisiana town banded together to support each other and their school. These high school students were led by the example of their Japanese-American football coach who believed that everyone should be treated with dignity.