This year marks 67 years since the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, in which the Court invalidated the doctrine of “separate but equal” in public education. The Brown ruling has taken on somewhat mythic proportions in the public narrative, often characterized as an inevitable march towards justice. This narrative obscures the almost century-long efforts to secure school integration and seek resource equity that preceded the decision. It also overlooks the collateral consequences of the uneven implementation of Brown, including the massive firing of Black educators and school leaders, the closing of many Black schools, and the disproportionate burden borne by Black children to integrate schools. This panel explores the current state of public education in light of the aspirations of Brown to secure educational equity. Panelists explore questions such as:
- Is integrated education still a viable goal?
- What are the consequences of segregated education?
- What are the current obstacles to achieving integrated education?
- Why do resource inequities persist in public schools and what are some potential remedies?
- How has the pandemic exposed or deepened educational inequities?
- Can education be re-imagined to help dismantle systemic inequities along racial lines?