[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 86 (Friday, May 17, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E522-E523]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. JOYCE BEATTY

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 14, 2024

  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today alongside my esteemed 
Congressional Black Caucus colleagues to commemorate the 70th 
Anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in the Brown vs. 
Board of Education case. This pivotal moment in our Nation's history 
marked the end of state-sanctioned segregation in public schools and 
affirmed the Constitutional principle of equal protection under the 
law.
  The Supreme Court's ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education laid the 
foundation for subsequent civil rights legislation and legal battles 
aimed at dismantling segregation across various spheres of society. 
However, despite seven decades of progress, the shadow of segregation 
still looms large in American education and beyond.
  Even today, non-white school districts receive $2,226 less per 
student on average, perpetuating an achievement gap that reduces the 
college attendance and lifetime earnings of Black students by 65 
percent. The disparities extend to advanced education with African 
American women holding advanced degrees, such as a master's, earning $7 
less per hour than white men with a bachelor's degree, and $17 less per 
hour than their white male peers.

[[Page E523]]

  Efforts to remedy these disparities by promoting diversity, equity, 
and inclusion in education have been met with relentless resistance 
from conservatives. They've rolled back affirmative action and 
continually seek to suppress instruction of Black history and 
literature. This concerted effort to perpetuate inequality and silence 
our voices cannot go unchallenged. We must raise our voices against 
these regressive measures and utilize every available avenue to resist 
discrimination and promote equity in education and beyond.
  We must continue to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion 
initiatives in education, in the workplace, and in the marketplace, to 
uphold Brown v. Board's legacy of desegregation and equity. By doing 
so, we honor the promise of a just America and ensure that every 
individual has access to the opportunities they need to thrive.

                          ____________________