1950
Sweatt v. Painter Strikes Down Segregation in Law School
On June 5, 1950, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in *Sweatt v. Painter* that the University of Texas School of Law must admit Heman Marion Sweatt, an African American applicant denied admission solely due to his race [1][2]. The Court found …
Austin, TX, TX
African American
Education & schools
Jim Crow
Labor
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On June 5, 1950, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in *Sweatt v. Painter* that the University of Texas School of Law must admit Heman Marion Sweatt, an African American applicant denied admission solely due to his race [1][2]. The Court found that the newly established 'law school for Negroes' was grossly unequal to UT Law in faculty, library resources, and professional recognition, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment [2][5]. This decision challenged the 'separate but equal' doctrine of *Plessy v. Ferguson* and laid critical groundwork for *Brown v. Board of Education* in 1954 [3][6][8].