[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 70 (Tuesday, May 18, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E896]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION

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                          HON. DIANE E. WATSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 18, 2004

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 50th 
anniversary of the Brown versus Board of Education Supreme Court 
decision and to call on this administration and Congress to further 
renew the goals and visions laid out by this monumental case.
  On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court announced in Brown 
versus Board of Education that ``in the field of education, the 
doctrine of `separate but equal' has no place.'' In the half century 
that followed, This pivotal decision ushered in a new era, leading to 
the gradual elimination of State-sponsored racism. Specifically, it 
established the legal and moral framework for the civil and voting 
rights legislation of the 1960s that drastically expanded the 
Constitution's promise of ``equal protection'' to all spheres of public 
life.
  However, few people today would claim that the promises of Brown have 
been fulfilled. There is no doubt that the disturbing phenomenon of 
``white flight'' in the North and ``segacademies'' in the South 
following efforts at integration created new forms of segregation along 
economic, and all too often, racial lines. As a recent study by the 
Harvard Civil Rights Project indicates, 70 percent of African-American 
children today attend schools that are predominately African-American, 
roughly the same level as 40 years ago.
  Throughout the country today and this week, many will gather to 
celebrate and commemorate the legacy of Brown. But it is also an 
occasion for observance. We cannot ignore how, across America today, 
Black and White students still go to separate schools in the same town, 
divided by neighborhoods and segregated by wealth. We cannot ignore the 
disparity in resources that continue to plague many of our school 
systems, especially those serving predominantly inner-city minority and 
impoverished children.
  Today is an occasion to recommit ourselves to the vision of Brown, to 
redouble our efforts in working toward an America that treats everyone 
equally and empowers everyone economically. Congress passed the No 
Child Left Behind Act to establish a framework for States and districts 
to address and eventually eliminate education failures. I once again 
issue a call to action. First this administration and this Congress 
must fully fund No Child Left Behind to demonstrate our commitment to 
educational equity. Second, we must increase funding for Pell grants so 
that low- and moderate-income students can have access to higher 
education. This 50th anniversary commemoration of Brown versus Board of 
Education, like the decision itself, calls for action, not just words. 
Justice deferred is justice denied.

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