In the case of Alabama State Teachers Association et al. v. Alabama Public School and College Authority et al., 1968, the Supreme Court dealt with issues related to racial segregation in public schools and colleges in Alabama. The plaintiffs, a group of African American teachers and students, sued the state's education authorities for maintaining segregated facilities despite previous court rulings against such practices (Brown v Board of Education). They argued that new construction projects were being used as a means to perpetuate segregation by building new schools intended for white students only. The District Court initially dismissed their complaint but on appeal, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs stating that any action taken by state officials which might impede or delay desegregation was unconstitutional under Fourteenth Amendment equal protection clause. This ruling further reinforced federal commitment towards ending racial discrimination within educational institutions.

In the dissenting opinion for Alabama State Teachers Association et al. v. Alabama Public School and College Authority et al., Justice Hugo Black disagreed with the majority's decision to uphold a state law that allowed public funds to be used for private schools, including those practicing racial segregation. He argued that this violated both the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and federal civil rights laws aimed at ending school segregation. In his view, allowing such funding was tantamount to state support of racial discrimination in education, which he believed was unconstitutional regardless of whether it occurred in public or private institutions. Furthermore, he contended that by permitting these practices, the court undermined efforts towards achieving educational equality and integration across America.