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U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
The 60th
Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
Sixty years ago today, a unanimous Supreme Court, in Brown v. Board of
Education, struck down decades of inequality in our nation’s schools
with its ruling that segregated schools violated the rights of
students. Until 1954, schools across the country had operated under the
idea that “separate but equal” schools based on race for students
fulfilled our nation’s promise of equal opportunity for all. But
schools for minorities were often woefully inadequate – in one South
Carolina school system, the district spent four times the amount on
each white student that it spent on each black student.
The tangible inequities in the schools serving minorities and white
students were undeniable. But the Supreme Court based its landmark
ruling on “intangible considerations” – the value of discussing issues
with peers who have a wide range of views and the harm of the feeling
of inferiority that comes with being separated out based solely on
race. These very real inequities, the Court said, extended beyond the
classroom to students’ civic education and professional development,
making separate schools “inherently unequal.”
“Education is the foundation for future opportunities, and for
centuries, millions of American children were denied all of the
opportunities a high-quality education affords based only on the color
of their skin,” U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown said. “The Brown v. Board of
Education ruling was the first step in a long journey toward tearing
down the barriers to equality in our society.”
The Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education signaled an historic
shift in our nation’s civil rights laws and our education systems. But
there is still more work to be done to ensure that every child has
equal access to an education that will allow them to realize their full
potential. Congress, the states, and local school districts must all
provide the resources and tools needed to ensure that all students –
regardless of income, background, or geography – can learn from their
teachers and from one another in a supportive and inclusive environment
to fulfill the Constitution’s promise of equal opportunity. Sen. Brown
will continue to fight for protection of individual rights and
liberties and to ensure that all Ohioans have access to high-quality,
affordable education.
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