[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 5, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF BROWN 
                         V. BOARD OF EDUCATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 5, 2004

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce a 
resolution recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of 
Education decision.
  This month we honor and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Brown v. 
Board of Education, a landmark decision that not only desegregated 
public schools, but led to the desegregation of every segment of our 
society. Half a century ago, on May 17, 1954, the Brown decision 
advanced the Constitutional principle that every American should be 
guaranteed equal protection of the laws.
  In this decision, the United States Supreme Court declared, ``in the 
field of public education, the doctrine of `separate but equal' has no 
place.'' It was Brown that reversed Plessy v. Ferguson, the case that 
established this ``separate but equal'' doctrine, which stamped 
Africans Americans with a badge of inferiority as articulated by Judge 
John Marshall Harlan, the lone dissenter in Plessy.
  Brown commenced an era that began to strip African Americans and 
other minorities of this badge of inferiority. With Brown, millions of 
minorities and women would be afforded educational opportunities. This 
decision also provided momentum to the Civil Rights Movement and this 
nation would come to realize change not just within the realm of 
education, but in other segments of society as well.
  The Brown decision helped lead to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which 
advanced the idea that discrimination in the workplace and in public 
establishments would not be tolerated. The decision also helped lead to 
the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which promotes every American's right to 
participate in the political process and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 
which promotes equal and fair access to housing for every American.
  Fifty years after Brown, however, the pursuit for equal rights and 
equal opportunity for every American citizen continues. This notion can 
best be evidenced by statistics that reflect the socio-economic 
disparities within the African American community:
  In March 2004, the Department of Labor reported that 10 percent of 
African Americans were unemployed, compared to 5 percent of white 
Americans.
  In 2003, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) or 
``the nation's report card'' indicated that 60 percent of African 
American fourth graders were not reading at a fourth grade level, 
compared to 25 percent of white American fourth graders.
  In 2003, the Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that 20 percent of 
African Americans were uninsured, compared to 12 percent of white 
Americans.
  In 2003, United for a Fair Economy (UFE) reported that 24 percent of 
African Americans live in poverty, compared to 8 percent of white 
Americans.
  It is because of such disparities that this resolution calls upon 
Congress to do more than celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Brown 
decision by noting its historical significance. This resolution asks 
Congress to renew its commitment to continuing and building on the 
legacy of Brown with a pledge to acknowledge and address the modern day 
disparities that perpetuate a separate and unequal society.

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