The Ruling That Changed America Thesis

1. The thesis of Williams “The Ruling That Changed America” is that the Brown decision changed America for the better, but it wasn’t exactly accepted like it is today. Williams says “The real impact of the legal, political, and cultural eruption that changed America is not exactly what it first appeared to be.” (Williams 387) Furthermore, in the article, Williams validated the thesis by saying “Today, it is even hard to remember America before brown because the ruling completely changed the nation.”(Williams 389)
2. In the article, Williams states that the Brown decision did not justice for many years. He states the White Americans negative view; at the same time stating the African American scared view of the Brown decision. For Instance,

Williams includes South Carolina Gov. James Brynes' statement that “the end of civilization in the south as we know it”; as well as Georgia Gov. Hernan Talmadge idea that the “Supreme Court’s ruling was not the law in his state” and it was “’The first step toward national suicide.’”( Williams 388) he then goes on to explain that schools in some counties closed down to avoid integration, that white students were enrolled in private school that were unaffected by the Brown decision, and that several white and African American children were not in school to avoid integration as well. Williams then goes on to include the African Americans view of Little Rock, Arkansas. He tells “the black parents in Little Rock did not want to risk harm to their children by allowing them to join in efforts to integrate Central High.” He also includes that it wasn’t until the NAACP convinced the parents of The Little Rock Nine that the schools of Little Rock were integrated. So Williams was able to intertwine the conflicting ideas of the African Americans and White Americans that Williams was able to portray the reactions of the people to the Brown decision.
3. William says that the ultimate effect of the Brown decision was “The most important legacy of the Brown decision, by far, is the growth of an educated black middle class.” (Williams 391) Williams then follows his statements by listing accomplishments that African Americans have overcome since 1980’s. For Example, Williams writes “The number of black people graduating from high school and college has soared since brown, and the incomes of blacks have climbed steadily as a result. Home ownership and investment in stock markets among African Americans has rocketed since the 1980’s.” (Williams 391)