In 1954 the US Supreme Court declared that in the field of public education the doctrine of "separate but equal" has no place. In the following years, whites rioted, barred schoolhouse doors and sent in armed troops to prevent desegregation in schools, but people of color, armed with no more than their courage, kept coming to learn. Telgen provides a full narrative of the events leading from slavery to segregation, the organizations that sought parity in education, the road to the Supreme Court, the crises that resulted, and the legacy of the 1954 decision. She includes biographies of notable actors and a fascinating collection of primary sources, including personal histories, editorials, and the text of the decision, as well as a number of period illustrations and photographs. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)