The Cooper v. Aaron case of 1958 was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that reaffirmed the court's commitment to enforcing desegregation in public schools, as previously mandated by Brown v. Board of Education (1954). The Little Rock School District had attempted to delay integration plans due to violent opposition from local citizens and state government officials, arguing that it threatened public safety and order. However, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled against this argument stating that constitutional rights cannot be denied on grounds of threats or violence; hence states are bound by federal law under Article VI Clause 2 (the Supremacy Clause) which makes Constitution "supreme Law of the Land". This ruling emphasized judicial supremacy in interpreting constitutionality and asserted its authority over state governments.

In the dissenting opinion for Cooper v. Aaron, Justice Felix Frankfurter argued that while he agreed with the Court's decision to uphold desegregation as mandated by Brown v. Board of Education, he disagreed with their method of enforcement. He believed that it was not within the Supreme Court's jurisdiction to enforce its rulings directly on state officials and felt this overstepped boundaries set by constitutional separation of powers principles. Instead, he suggested that such enforcement should be carried out through lower federal courts or Congress itself rather than direct intervention from the Supreme Court. This approach would respect states' rights and maintain a balance between judicial authority and legislative power at both state and federal levels.