Morgan v. Virginia, 328 U.S. 373 (1946), is a major United States Supreme Court case. In this landmark 1946 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7–1 that Virginia's state law enforcing segregation on interstate buses was unconstitutional.[1][2]
Reed, joined by Black, Frankfurter, Douglas, Murphy
Concurrence
Black
Concurrence
Frankfurter
Concurrence
Rutledge
Dissent
Burton
Jackson took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.
The case was argued by William H. Hastie, the former governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands and later a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Thurgood Marshall of the NAACP was co-counsel; he later was appointed as a US Supreme Court justice.[3] Hastie and Marshall used an innovative strategy to brief and argue the case. Instead of relying upon the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment, they argued successfully that segregation on interstate travel violated the Interstate Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution.[4] Virginia and other Southern states ignored the ruling, and continued with their practice of enforcing racial segregation in interstate transportation vehicles and facilities.
"If something happens to you which is wrong, the best thing to do is have it corrected in the best way you can," said Irene Morgan, the African-American plaintiff who was arrested in Virginia for refusing to move from the "White" to the "Colored" section on a Greyhound interstate bus. "The best thing for me to do was to go to the Supreme Court."[5]
In 1944, at the time of the incident, she was working at a defense contractor, the aircraft manufacturer Glenn L. Martin Company, based in Baltimore, Maryland. She worked on the production line making B-26 Marauders. She had traveled to Virginia to visit her mother.[6] Morgan was arrested in Middlesex County on her return trip to Baltimore, after refusing to move at the direction of the bus driver.
Aftermathedit
In 1960, in Boynton v. Virginia, the Supreme Court extended the Morgan ruling to bus terminals used in interstate bus service. But the Southern states refused to comply and continued to eject or arrest African Americans who tried to use restrooms, waiting areas and cafeterias or lunch counters reserved for whites in such facilities, as Southern states refused to obey Morgan v. Virginia.[7]
The efforts of the Freedom Riders in 1961 were undertaken in part to challenge the ineffectual adherence to this ruling in a number of the states in the Deep South.
^"Morgan v. Virginia (June 3, 1946)". www.encyclopediavirginia.org. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
^"Milestones," August 27, 2007 edition of TIME Magazine at p. 23.
^"Jim Crow Stories: Richard Wormser, "'Morgan v. Virginia' (1946)" , The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, 2002, PBS, accessed 5 February 2013
^Setegn, Lea (February 13, 2002). "Irene Morgan". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on February 7, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
^Margot Lee Shetterly, Hidden Figures, William Morrow, 2016, p. 44
^"Equal Access to Public Accommodations" – The Civil Rights Movement in Virginia 2013-05-31 at the Wayback Machine, Virginia Historical Society
External linksedit
Text of Morgan v. Virginia, 328U.S. 373 (1946) is available from:CourtListenerJustiaLibrary of Congress
January 01, 1970
morgan, virginia, 1946, major, united, states, supreme, court, case, this, landmark, 1946, ruling, supreme, court, ruled, that, virginia, state, enforcing, segregation, interstate, buses, unconstitutional, supreme, court, united, statesargued, march, 1946decid. Morgan v Virginia 328 U S 373 1946 is a major United States Supreme Court case In this landmark 1946 ruling the U S Supreme Court ruled 7 1 that Virginia s state law enforcing segregation on interstate buses was unconstitutional 1 2 Morgan v VirginiaSupreme Court of the United StatesArgued March 27 1946Decided June 3 1946Full case nameIrene Morgan v Commonwealth of VirginiaCitations328 U S 373 more 66 S Ct 1050 90 L Ed 1317Court membershipChief Justice vacant Associate Justices Hugo Black Stanley F ReedFelix Frankfurter William O DouglasFrank Murphy Robert H JacksonWiley B Rutledge Harold H BurtonCase opinionsMajorityReed joined by Black Frankfurter Douglas MurphyConcurrenceBlackConcurrenceFrankfurterConcurrenceRutledgeDissentBurtonJackson took no part in the consideration or decision of the case The case was argued by William H Hastie the former governor of the U S Virgin Islands and later a judge on the U S Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Thurgood Marshall of the NAACP was co counsel he later was appointed as a US Supreme Court justice 3 Hastie and Marshall used an innovative strategy to brief and argue the case Instead of relying upon the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment they argued successfully that segregation on interstate travel violated the Interstate Commerce Clause of the U S Constitution 4 Virginia and other Southern states ignored the ruling and continued with their practice of enforcing racial segregation in interstate transportation vehicles and facilities Contents 1 Background 2 Aftermath 3 References 4 External linksBackground edit If something happens to you which is wrong the best thing to do is have it corrected in the best way you can said Irene Morgan the African American plaintiff who was arrested in Virginia for refusing to move from the White to the Colored section on a Greyhound interstate bus The best thing for me to do was to go to the Supreme Court 5 In 1944 at the time of the incident she was working at a defense contractor the aircraft manufacturer Glenn L Martin Company based in Baltimore Maryland She worked on the production line making B 26 Marauders She had traveled to Virginia to visit her mother 6 Morgan was arrested in Middlesex County on her return trip to Baltimore after refusing to move at the direction of the bus driver Aftermath editIn 1960 in Boynton v Virginia the Supreme Court extended the Morgan ruling to bus terminals used in interstate bus service But the Southern states refused to comply and continued to eject or arrest African Americans who tried to use restrooms waiting areas and cafeterias or lunch counters reserved for whites in such facilities as Southern states refused to obey Morgan v Virginia 7 The efforts of the Freedom Riders in 1961 were undertaken in part to challenge the ineffectual adherence to this ruling in a number of the states in the Deep South References edit Hall Kermit 2009 The Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions Oxford University Press p 201 ISBN 978 0195379396 via Google Books Morgan v Virginia June 3 1946 www encyclopediavirginia org Retrieved November 4 2015 Milestones August 27 2007 edition of TIME Magazine at p 23 Jim Crow Stories Richard Wormser Morgan v Virginia 1946 The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow 2002 PBS accessed 5 February 2013 Setegn Lea February 13 2002 Irene Morgan Richmond Times Dispatch Archived from the original on February 7 2018 Retrieved February 7 2018 Margot Lee Shetterly Hidden Figures William Morrow 2016 p 44 Equal Access to Public Accommodations The Civil Rights Movement in Virginia Archived 2013 05 31 at the Wayback Machine Virginia Historical SocietyExternal links editText of Morgan v Virginia 328 U S 373 1946 is available from CourtListener Justia Library of Congress Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Morgan v Virginia amp oldid 1179517774, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
