Reflecting on the Historic Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

Statement

This Saturday marks the 60th anniversary of one of the greatest days in America's legal history, the Supreme Court's ruling on the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court declared unanimously that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Released on May 17, 1954, the decision set in motion the transformation of schools and other public spaces across the country.

The case was spurred by the actions of ordinary parents in Kansas, who took the extraordinary step of demanding justice for their children. Legendary jurist and Marylander Thurgood Marshall successfully argued on behalf of the plaintiffs before the Supreme Court and because of the ruling, the lives of millions of students would be improved.

Back in 1954, 17 states, including Maryland, required segregated schools, with many other states following the practice. I saw some of that history up close, when I hosted a Voting Rights Panel discussion at the historic school for African-American students in Boyds, earlier this year. For decades, the only school available to African-American students, of all ages, in the Boyds area of Montgomery County was a small one-room schoolhouse.

The Brown v. Board of Education ruling is still inspiring to this day. While we should take a moment to remember our history, we must also look to the work that remains to be done. The path to greater fairness, justice, and equality never stops.

One of the key civil rights issues of our time is the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, which is currently being considered by Congress. The right to vote is foundational to our democracy and the Voting Rights Act has been one of the most important pieces of legislation in guaranteeing that every American has access to the ballot. The Voting Rights Act was last reauthorized by Congress in 2006 with strong bipartisan support. Congress has a mandate and a responsibility under the Fifteenth Amendment to secure and protect the right to vote and I call upon my colleagues to work together to ensure that for everyone -- no matter who they are or where they live -- those fundamental rights are protected.

As Chief Justice Warren wrote in the Brown v. Board of Education decision, education is centrally important to a democratic society. That's why I've cosponsored legislation that expands pre-k education, called for full funding for Head Start, and signed on to the Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2013, which prohibits gender identity or sexual orientation based discrimination in federally-supported schools.

Support for education isn't just a question of justice however; it's a critical economic issue. To compete in a globally-integrated, high-tech economy, we have to invest in world-class schools, science, engineering, and research. That's why education is one of the pillars of my competitiveness agenda. If we put our workers and entrepreneurs in a position to compete, I know they'll thrive against our competitors.

On May 17, 1954, our country was changed forever. The anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education is truly something to celebrate. As we educate today's generation, I welcome your feedback on the civil rights and educational challenges that are most important to you.

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