Washington, DC — House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries commemorated the landmark May 17, 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown vs Board of Education and released the following statement:
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which struck down the shameful “separate but equal” doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson.
Following the ruling, children simply attempting to attend school were met by violent, racist mobs and local officials sued in federal court to keep their districts segregated. Now, the most segregated school systems in America can be directly traced to policies put in place by opponents of integration in the aftermath of the ruling. Decades later, it remains deeply troubling and unacceptable that we continue to fall short of ensuring all students can flourish on a level playing field.
Under the leadership of President Biden and Education Secretary Cardona, we’ve made important progress toward school desegregation efforts across the nation, though we still have a long way to go. We owe it not only to heroes like Thurgood Marshall, Daisy Bates, Oliver Brown and Constance Baker Motley who fought to integrate our schools, but to future generations who make up the gorgeous mosaic of America.
Equal access to high-quality education should not be a partisan issue. It’s a problem we must confront together as Americans. Unfortunately, there are people who are more concerned with banning books, rewriting history and bullying children.
House Democrats know that every student suffers when they are deprived of the opportunity to learn in inclusive settings. That’s why we’re fighting for access to a high-quality education for all students, regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnicity or socioeconomic status.
