Questions: 12. Protest marches such as this one were prompted by conflict over the * 5 points failure of many states to enforce which Supreme Court decision?

The protest marches referred to in the question were prompted by conflict over the failure of many states to enforce the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954).

The Brown v. Board of Education decision was a landmark ruling in which the Supreme Court declared that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This decision overturned the previous "separate but equal" doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, which had allowed state-sponsored segregation.

1. Brown v. Board of Education (1954): The Supreme Court ruled that segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The decision was a significant step towards ending racial segregation in the United States.

2. Resistance and Non-Compliance: Despite the ruling, many states, particularly in the South, resisted implementing the decision. This resistance took various forms, including legal challenges, the establishment of private schools to circumvent integration, and outright defiance by state and local governments.

3. Civil Rights Movement: The failure to enforce the Brown decision became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. Activists organized protests, marches, and other forms of civil disobedience to demand the enforcement of desegregation and equal rights.

One of the most notable examples of resistance was the Little Rock Crisis of 1957, where the Governor of Arkansas used the National Guard to prevent African American students from entering Little Rock Central High School. This led to President Eisenhower intervening by sending federal troops to enforce integration.

In summary, the protest marches were a response to the widespread non-compliance with the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education, highlighting the ongoing struggle for civil rights and equality in the United States.