2.3.3 Mrs. Nettie Hunt, Sitting on Steps of Supreme Court . . .

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. The Supreme Court leads the judicial branch of the government, which is the part of government that decides whether laws are fair. Nine judges serve as justices on the Court. The Supreme Court is located in Washington, DC. This photograph shows a mother and daughter sitting on the steps of the Supreme Court in 1954. The newspaper that the mom is holding has a headline about one of the most important decisions that the Supreme Court has ever issued. The article explains that the Court had decided that it is unconstitutional for schools to segregate (which means to separate) students based on race in schools and in classrooms. Why do you think this mother and her daughter agreed to pose for this picture? How might this child's life be affected by this decision?

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. The Supreme Court leads the judicial branch of the government, which is the part of government that decides whether laws are fair. Nine judges serve as justices on the Court.   This Supreme Court Building sits in the background of the image, but the foreground of the photograph features a mother and daughter holding up a newspaper with a headline that reads, "High Court Bans Segregation in Public Schools." The famed Brown vs. Board of Education decision may provide an entry point for students to learn about the role of the Supreme Court with this specific example that affects students' own daily lives.

World Horizons - Advance for AM’s, 5/10/64. To go with UPI Dispatch by Al Kuettner.
Mrs. Nettie Hunt, sitting on steps of the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, explains the significance of the Court’s May 17th, 1954 desegregation ruling to her daughter, Nikie 3 ½, in this 11/19/54 photo. UPI/ TELE/FILES

Text on the Newspaper:
The News

High Court Bans Segregation in Public Schools