Discuss the importance of US Supreme Court rulings in advancing the civil rights movement up to 1980.

Candidates will offer a considered and balanced review of Supreme Court rulings that affected the Civil Rights Movement up to 1980. They should demonstrate a clear understanding of the impact of Supreme Court rulings. Candidates could argue some rulings advanced the movement, while others hindered it. Candidates could discuss rulings affecting other minority groups beyond African-Americans. Conclusions should be clearly presented and supported by appropriate evidence. Most candidates will conclude that the Supreme Court rulings were paramount in advancing the civil rights movement, but accept alternative arguments that are well supported. Candidates may refer to Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), even though it is pre-1945, which legalized discrimination, as an impetus for the civil rights movement. Other cases that candidates may discuss include Brown v. Topeka I (1954) and II (1955), Browder v. Gayle (1956), The Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964) Swann v. Mecklenburg (1971) and California v. Bakke (1978).