McEachin Statement on 64th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

Statement

Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) issued this statement on the 64th anniversary of the landmark United States Supreme Court decision on Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka:

"Today we remember the critical principles set forth by the landmark decision and rededicate ourselves to making further progress.

"Brown v. Board of Education included five separate lawsuits, all arguing for integrating schools, rather than access to equal facilities and resources. One of those cases was a Virginia case, Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County. A brave young woman named Barbara Johns led a student walkout to stand up for decent facilities, which led to students voting for an integrated school rather than settling for upgrades to their facilities. When the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of the plaintiffs, stating "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal' and demanding that separate school systems be dismantled, the hard work and dedication of Barbara Johns and her peers were also rewarded on this momentous day in history.

"Unfortunately, we still have much work ahead of us because far too many students of color across the country still attend ramshackle schools with inadequate resources. Let us recommit ourselves to the dictates of the Supreme Court in this 1954 critical victory."

Source