Mr. and Mrs. Brown and their daughter, Linda, lived in Topeka, Kansas. Kansas passed a law which allowed segregated schools. The Topeka School Board passed a policy providing for segregated schools. The School Board required Linda, a black girl, to attend a school for blacks. Linda had to ride a bus 21 blocks to a school that was old and had a shortage of teachers. There was a school for whites that was only five blocks from Linda's house. Linda's parents felt it was a better school than the one for blacks. Linda's parents went to Federal Court to complain. They wanted the court to force the school for whites to allow Linda to attend. The Federal Court ruled against the Browns and they appealed to the Supreme Court.