[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 14, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E37]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                   PASSING OF COURTNEY EVERTS MYKYTYN

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 14, 2020

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to share a word 
about the untimely passing of Courtney Everts Mykytyn.
  In 1954, the United States Supreme Court unanimously struck down 
lawful school segregation in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of 
Education of Topeka. In a unanimous decision, the Court stated, ``where 
the state has undertaken to provide it, [education] is a right which 
must be made available to all on equal terms.'' Chief Justice Earl 
Warren went on to state that ``in the field of public education, the 
doctrine of `separate but equal' has no place.''
  Courtney founded Integrated Schools in Los Angeles, California in 
2015 to start a grassroots movement for school integration. Integrated 
Schools' mission states: ``America's schools are more segregated than 
before the Civil Rights Movement. . . . Through national organizing to 
promote local action, we support, educate, develop and mobilize 
families to ``live their values,'' disrupt segregation, and leverage 
their choices for the well-being and futures for their own children, 
for all children, and for our democracy.''
  As champion for educational equity, Courtney recognized that school 
integration is one of the most powerful tools to ensure that all 
children have an equal opportunity to reach their full potential. She 
understood that the work of integrating our schools can be 
uncomfortable and complicated, and worked to educate parents and build 
community coalitions. Unlike many school integration efforts that place 
burden solely on families of color, Courtney's mission was also to 
challenge white families to integrate schools. Courtney was always 
intentional in her efforts as she boldly stated: ``We're [white people] 
the ones who kind of made it all [school integration] fail. Really 
fixing it has to be on us.''
  Courtney educated white families about how true school integration 
requires both an understanding of systemic racism in America and the 
careful work of relationship-building free of self-interested agendas 
and without employing a white saviorism mentality. When I think of 
Courtney's leadership on this important issue, I am reminded of the 
Court's 1971 opinion in Swann v Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of 
Education led by Chief Justice Earl Warren. He stated, ``. . . [A]ll 
things are not equal in a system that has been deliberately constructed 
and maintained to enforce racial segregation. The remedy for such 
segregation may be administratively awkward, inconvenient, and even 
bizarre in some situations, and may impose burdens on some; but all 
awkwardness and inconvenience cannot be avoided . . .''
  Courtney understood the consequences of segregation for children and 
our democracy. She often spoke about how segregation undermines our 
core American ideals of fairness and equality and worked tireless to 
help fulfill the promise of Brown. Courtney emphasized that integrating 
schools was not about sacrifice, but instead about a commitment to 
strengthening our democracy and building a better society. I hope 
advocates and families continue her legacy and commitment of fighting 
for school integration. Further, I challenge this body to honor 
Courtney's legacy in the months and years to come by taking the 
necessary actions to support and advance school integration.
  Madam Speaker, the sadness of the passing of Courtney Everts Mykytyn 
is offset by her transformative work on school integration. Her death 
is a great loss to the school integration movement and our country. She 
will be greatly missed. I send my deepest sympathies to her loved ones, 
including her husband, Roman Mykytyn, her two children, Stefan and 
Lulu, and the Integrated Schools community.

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