Which case resolved that school districts must desegregate with 'all deliberate speed'?

• A. Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
• B. Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education (1971)
• C. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)
• D. Brown v. Board of Education II (1955)

Answer: (D)

Desegregation must move forward promptly, but with some flexibility to fit local conditions. This idea was voiced by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education II, which held that school districts must desegregate with all deliberate speed. After the 1954 ruling that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, Brown II shifted focus to how to implement that ruling, giving courts leeway to oversee plans and set reasonable timetables that still push for quick action. The phrase “all deliberate speed” became the standard for how quickly districts should act, balancing urgency with practical considerations. By contrast, Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg addressed remedies like busing to achieve integration, Bakke dealt with admissions policies and affirmative action in higher education, and Brown v. Board of Education (the 1954 decision) established the unconstitutionality of segregation but did not prescribe a speed for desegregation.