The 14th Amendment in the Supreme Court's Plessy and Brown Decisions and Influences on Editorial Arguments about Segregation in the Southern United States, 1960–1964

Abstract

A content analysis of the editorial pages of the Birmingham News from 1960 to 1964 shows that, despite its staunch segregationist stance, the paper's editorial pages, nonetheless, produced strong integrationist narratives. This paradox was borne of discordant interpretations of 14th Amendment rights featured in the Supreme Court's Plessy (1896) and Brown (1954) decisions. Rise of staunch segregationist groups and officials after the Court's 1954 Brown decision drove News editors to embrace greater democratic pluralism. The evolution in editorial approach corresponded to the paper's gradual adoption of Brown's interpretations of 14th Amendment rights. Change in the valence of the paper's narratives supports Condit’s (1987) thesis that rhetorical “crafting” of public morality about race brought about greater tolerance and acceptance of racial equality in America.