Resolution
1954 Decision |
Illinois Commission on the 50th Anniversary Brown vs Board of Education at 50 |
Coming of age in the late ‘60s, I was greatly influenced by the political rhetoric of hope articulated by John and Robert Kennedy and the public witness of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But my ability to believe in their dreams of an enlightened democracy was rooted in the seeds of promise sown with the Brown vs. Board of Education decision of May 17, 1954. This landmark legislation challenged the “separate but equal” doctrine that pervaded the legal, social, political and economic fabric of this nation. As a person of color and public servant, I am profoundly indebted to the exceptional courage and extraordinary commitment of Thurgood Marshall, the remarkable NAACP attorney who successfully argued this historic case before the U.S. Supreme Court. His victory in court decreed that racially segregated schools were unconstitutional. This pivotal judgment served as the legal impetus for the grass roots activism and non-violent protest of Dr. King and the civil rights movement. This is the historical backdrop that continues to color my dreams and frame my legislative agenda. For even as we embark on celebrating the legacy of Brown, the promise of Brown still waits to be fulfilled. Fifty years after Brown, segregation is still a glaring and gaping wound on the face of America. Significant racial and economic disparity in educational performance and success is rapidly transforming the dream of justice into a nightmare. According to the Civil Rights Project of Harvard University, “schools are steadily resegregating, and suburbs face emerging patterns of racial and class segregation…most recent initiatives in assessment, accountability and choice purport to solve the problems of minority children while ignoring or even intensifying segregation.” Evidence of this educational crisis is reflected in the high drop out rates and the low graduation rates, the widening achievement gaps and the accelerating expulsion rates that continue to negatively impact communities of color. And recent policy trends such as high stakes testing may be contributing to the resurgence of segregation and racial inequity in the nation’s classrooms. In their new book, No Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in Learning, Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom argue that racial inequality in schools is “the most important civil rights issue of our time.” If we are to have a reaffirmation of Brown’s promise of integrated schools and integrated opportunity, we need a new explicit and enduring commitment by educators and national, state and local leaders. We must revive the dream of Dr. King that calls for the advancement of democratic principles, reduces inequality, expands opportunity and strengthens community. This is the best way to proactively and productively celebrate the 50 th anniversary of Brown. Somehow we must regain our capacity to live, to work and dream together. For the legacy of Brown requires that all citizens, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religion or economic status, not succumb to the cynicism that distorts our faith in government and the political process. For we still have much work to do. The battle for racial, social and economic justice continues…
|
 |
Illinois Commission on the 50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education Contact: Executive Director Ollie McLemore |