Washington, D.C. – Today, in recognition of the 65th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, issued the following statement:
“65 years ago, the Supreme Court issued its landmark Brown v. Board ruling, which declared racially segregated public schools unconstitutional. Though the ruling was unanimous, the goals of Brown remain unfulfilled and under attack” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
“The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education was one that literally transformed our democracy. The ongoing work being done to fulfill the goals of Brown v. Board of Education takes on greater urgency today as increasing numbers of President Trump’s judicial nominees refuse to concede that the Brown decision is valid precedent. These nominees bring an astounding level of defiance that threatens to upend a ruling that has shaped American democracy and made clear that racial segregation is an evil that runs contrary to the constitution. Despite years of fragile progress, intense levels of racial segregation are on the rise again. We honor the Brown decision by working to address racially segregated public schools, beating back the school to prison pipeline, demanding judges who will uphold the rule of law, and lifting other barriers that disproportionately impair educational opportunities for African American and other students of color across our country.
Clarke continued: “For the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, we must work to fulfill the promise of the 14th Amendment by guaranteeing African Americans equal protection under the law in public education and reigniting our fight for racial diversity.”
About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. Now in its 56th year, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is continuing its quest to “Move America Toward Justice.” The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and voting rights.
Contact
Reynolds Graves, Lawyers’ Committee, RGraves@LawyersCommittee.org, 202-662-8375
