Mendez v Westminster, precursor to Brown v. Board of Education, was decided in which year?

• A. 1946
• B. 1947
• C. 1945
• D. 1948

Answer: (B)

The key point is understanding when early desegregation challenges in education began to win in court and how they paved the way for Brown v. Board of Education. In 1947, a federal district court in California ruled that segregating Mexican and Mexican American students into separate schools was unconstitutional and ordered that those students be admitted to nonsegregated schools closer to them. This decision signaled that separate schooling could violate equal protection and it provided a crucial legal groundwork that helped build momentum for the later, nationwide Brown ruling. So, the year reflects the actual decision and its role as a precursor to Brown’s pivotal desegregation ruling.