The Promise of Brown v. Board of Educ.

Yesterday, May 17, was the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which ruled unconstitutional laws mandating racial segregation in schools.  This anniversary is, of course, an occasion for celebrating our country’s progress; it's also a good time for reflecting on the fact that, for too many, Brown’s promise remains unfulfilled. 

The Court in Brown did more than disapprove of discrimination.  It also emphasized the vital importance of education to opportunity and equal citizenship.  The justices called education ‘the very foundation of good citizenship’ and warned that ‘it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education.’  If we hope to make good on the promise of Brown – and I believe we have an obligation to do so – we must pursue, in law and policy, creative and bold reforms in education.  The strongest arguments for school choice, opportunity scholarships, charter schools, and so on are not merely arguments about efficiency and cost-saving, they are about equality and social justice. 

In Brown, the Court challenged us to confront the connection between meaningful educational opportunities and equal citizenship in the political community.  It is not enough to respond to that challenge by changing the racial composition of public schools’ student bodies.  We must also change what is – and, too often, is not -- happening in these schools, challenge them to put the needs and futures of children above the preferences and comfort of teachers and administrators, and empower private, religious, and charter schools to participate fully in the shared enterprise of educating the public.