Over the last 12 months, IELC has collected a variety of resources marking the 50th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court Case, Brown v. Board of Education, as well as other equity issues. The following list is by no means exhaustive and will be updated as needed. If you would like to add your resource to the list, please send a short blurb and an active Web link to iel@iel.org with BvB in the subject line.

Post-Brown v. Board Reports and Surveys

A new report from MDC, Inc., "State of the South 2004: Fifty Years After Brown v. Board of Education" examines the implications of four trends in the South: 1) the need for higher schools and more education to fuel economic prosperity, 2) an increasingly Latino and African American population, 3) isolated, resource poor schools serving minority youth, and 4) the inability of high schools to engage and inspire students. They offer five goals for improving education in general and high schools in particular to respond to the trends. To read the executive summary and link to the full report, go to http://www.mdcinc.org/home.html.

USA Today reports that a Gallup poll of 3,017 adults conducted earlier this year found that although 90% of the respondents felt that black children have better educational opportunities than in 1954, only 31% of blacks feel the opportunities are equal to those of white children. (63% of whites felt the opportunities were the same.) To read "Poll finds split on educational equality," go to http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2004-04-26-brownpoll-usat_x.htm.

"How Desegregation Changed Us: Effects of Racially Mixed Schools on Students and Society" explores the issue of whether desegregating pubic schools was worthwhile by speaking to over 500 graduates, educators, policy makers and other who had first hand experience 25 years ago. The authors found that "school desegregation fundamentally changed the people who lived through it, yet had a more limited impact on the larger society." To read the press release, view a video interview with the lead author, and access the full report, go to http://www.tc.edu/desegregation. You may also want to watch for the upcoming book from which the report is drawn titled "In Search of Brown" to be published in 2005 by Harvard University Press.

In "The Color of Learning: Youth Researchers Tackle the Legacy of Brown," 200 diverse suburban and urban student-researchers in New York and New Jersey conducted their own investigation of educational inequity through thousands of student surveys, poetry and an interactive performance. As part of the process, they renamed the achievement gap, the opportunity gap. To view their initial findings, read an interview with two of the adult researchers with the project (Michelle Fine and Maria Elena Torre of the Graduate Center at CUNY), access a list of resources for teaching about civil rights, and more, go to http://www.whatkidscando.org/featurestories/coloroflearning.html.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) takes a look at Brown v. Board and Latino school segregation in "Black, White and Brown: Latino School Desegregation Efforts in the Pre- and Post-Brown v. Board of Education Era." This in-depth legal history begins with a court case in 1848 and ends with a Supreme Court decision that found Latinos "suffered similar discriminatory treatment in schools as African Americans when compared to white students." The paper is available at www.maldef.org.

An article in the on-line Boston Globe cites a Harvard Civil Rights Project finding that Latinos are the most segregated group in public schools 50 years after the Brown v. Board decision and are overcrowded, have fewer qualified teachers and educational resources. Contributing factors include immigrant children who do not speak English and the fact that Brown decision did not apply to Latinos until 1970. To read the Globe article, go to http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/ articles/2004/05/17/in_school_latinos_find_fewer_resources_ethnic_isolation/.

The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF) surveyed teachers and found that schools have moved from segregation to other types of teaching and learning inequities in "Fifty Years After Brown v. Board of Education: A Two-Tiered Education System." The report concludes that the system has one tier "for the more affluent, who enjoy the privileges of a relatively healthy educational environment, and the other for the least privileged, who suffer an educational environment that, in many cases, virtually forecloses their chance of learning." To read the report, go to http://www.nctaf.org/article/?c=4&sc=17&ssc=0&a=244.

The Color Lines Conference--Segregation and Integration in America's Present and Future was held at the Harvard Law School on August 30-September 1, 2003. Over 1,000 people attended the conference which was sponsored by the Civil Rights Project. Issues included changing demographics, protecting civil rights, trends, promising policies and practices, and more. A spate of new research will result from the conference, but in the meantime you can read many of the papers examining educational issues by going to http://www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu/convenings/colorlines/community.php. (From Vol. 2, No. 1, September/October 2003)

The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University (http://www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu) reports that school segregation still exists in some areas and that new resegregation trends are developing based on socio-economic status as well as race and ethnicity. (From Vol. 2, No. 1, September/October 2003)

"Brown at 50: King's Dream or Plessy's Nightmare?" by Gary Orfield and Chungmei Lee has been released by The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University. The authors find that "U.S. schools are becoming more segregated in all regions for both African American and Latino students." They also note, however, that "school segregation is not inevitable" and find hope in recent Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action and desegregation in higher education. To read the press release and link to the full report, go to http://www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu/news/pressreleases.php/record_id=42/. (From Vol. 2, No. 3, January/February 2004)

Brown v. Board Resources

An Infobrief from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Brown v. Board of Education: Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of the Landmark Decision, provides a nice summary of the road to Brown, the following 50 years, and where we go from here. It ends with a helpful list of references and resources. To access the Infobrief, go to: http://www.ascd.org/publications/infobrief/issue37.html.

Yale University's Brown v. Board of Education Web site contains an interactive civil rights chronology; the original Supreme Court decisions in Brown I, Brown II, and Bolling v. Sharpe; and a review of and excerpts from "What Brown v. Board of Education Should Have Said: The Nation's Top Legal Experts Rewrite America's Landmark Civil Rights Decision" edited by Jack M. Balkin. Nine experts in constitutional law and civil rights were invited to rewrite the law based only on those sources available in 1954-however, they could include what they know now about America's history between 1954 and 2004. To visit the Web site, go to http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/jbalkin/brown/.

Was Brown a success or a failure? Were other social and political forces responsible for desegregation? What is the role of judicial authority? These and other salient questions are addressed by Cass R. Sunstein in a fascinating discussion of six books: "From Jim Crow to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality: by Michael J. Klarman," "All Deliberate Speed: Reflections on the First Half-Century of Brown v. Board of Education" by Charles J. Ogletree, Jr., "Silent Covenants: Brown v. Board of Education and the Unfulfilled Hopes for Racial Reform" by Derrick Bell, "Simple Justice" by Richard Kluger, "The People Themselves" by Larry D. Kramer, and "Reconsidering Roosevelt on Race: How the Presidency Paved the Road to Brown" by Kevin J. McMahon. To read Sunstein's article in The New Yorker, go to http://www.newyorker.com/critics/books/?040503crbo_books

"Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching," from Teaching for Change and the Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC), provides lessons and articles for classrooms and communities on how to go beyond a heroes approach to the Civil Rights Movement. It offers interactive and interdisciplinary lessons, readings, artifacts, and interviews, with sections on education, citizenship, culture, economic justice, and reflections on teaching about the Movement. Order the book, peruse web-exclusive content, or find an event in your area commemorating the celebrated Brown v. Board court decision. You can also place an order by contacting Teaching for Change at (800) 763-9131 or www.teachingforchange.org.

Reading lists from a variety of locations on the political spectrum have been assembled for your edification and reading pleasure. To read "the most perceptive commentaries" recommended by the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, go to http://www.edexcellence.net/foundation/global/page.cfm?id=211. The Progressive Policy Institute's 21st Century Schools Project Bulletin has a reading list appended to its Brown commentary at http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=110&subsecID=900001&contentID=252645 as well as a roundup of Brown links and coverage on its cheeky blog, Eduwonk, at http://www.eduwonk.com/archives/2004_05_16_archive.html#108479551266716987. For a discussion of the implications of the Brown v. Board anniversary in an election year and a resource list of Brown links, go to the American School Board Journal Web site at http://www.asbj.com/BrownvBoard/brown5.html.

In "Riding on the Coattails of Brown," Karen Pittman at the Forum for Youth Investment provides an account of her experiences in desegrated schools after Brown v. Board from both an academic and youth development perspective. She also discusses closing both the achievement and acceptance gaps for today's youth. To read her column and view her resource list, go to http://www.forumforyouthinvestment.org/youthtoday/ridingcoat.may04.htm.

As the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education nears, several publications are scheduling special issues to commemorate this landmark decision. The Spring 2004 issue of Teaching Tolerance magazine, published by the Southern Poverty Law Center, contains interviews, a retrospective, classroom activities and resources, and more at http://www.tolerance.org/teach/expand/mag/index.jsp?p=0&is=34at. The Teachers College Record will devote its May issue to Brown and will contain as many as 30 articles on the history and legacy of the ruling and more. The issue will be available on-line beginning May 1, 2004, at http://www.tcrecord.com. (From Vol. 2, No. 4, March/April 2004)

Education Week began a five-part series last month, "Brown at 50," which will "take stock of the role of race in education, looking at key issues, developments, and localities." The first installment contains two stories, "In U.S. Schools, Race Still Counts" and "Stuck in Time," which describes the beginning of desegregation in Summerton, SC, and how it derailed. To read both stories and preview the upcoming ones, go to http://www.edweek.org/sreports/special_reports_article.cfm?slug=brown.htm. (From Vol. 2, No. 3, January/February 2004)

As we look at the achievement gap, of heightened importance to those of us in education is the 50th anniversary (on May 17, 2004) of the United States Supreme Court decision on Brown v. the Board of Education. The celebrations and remembrances of this landmark ruling have already begun with the creation of the federal Brown v. Board of Education 50th Anniversary Commission (http://www.ed.gov/inits/commissionsboards/brownvboard50th), the American Bar Association Brown v. Board of Education Commission (http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2003/08/13_ogletree.php), the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Web site, "Brown Matters, (http://www.brownmatters.org/press_education.html), plus activities and events sponsored by the National Education Association, the Howard University School of Law, and many others. (For summaries of Brown v. Board and other landmark Supreme Court decisions on equal rights, go the State Department information at http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/crights/scdec.htm.) (From Vol. 2, No. 1, September/October 2003)

Related Equity Issues

"We have never made good on the promise of equal opportunity in public education," said Kati Haycock, director of the Education Trust, upon releasing "The Education Watch 2004 State Summary Reports" which provide a snapshot of the condition of education in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Nation. The reports look at ready and math proficiency, AP course enrollment and test scores, high school graduation rates, college graduation rates, teacher quality, high level courses, gifted and talented and special education enrollments, suspensions, funding gaps, and college affordability gaps. To access the press release, PowerPoint presentation and state summaries, go to http://www2.edtrust.org/EdTrust/Press+Room/2004+reports.htm.

Brown v. Board was an important step in ensuring equal education for all, but there are more battles to be fought before this lofty goal is achieved. Equitable funding for schools is an on-going battle that has been fought in 45 of the 50 states-with 25 state lawsuits still active. In the early years, reform advocates lost the majority of lawsuits, but they have been more successful since 1989, partly because of the standards-based reform movement. For a discussion of these issues, go to http://catalyst-chicago.org/04-04/0404else.htm. To see how Education Week rates your state on Resource Equity and Resource Adequacy, go to the 2004 Quality Counts report at http://www.edweek.org/sreports/qc04/.

Desegregation, school reform, good teachers, and high expectations are not enough to close the achievement gap. Richard Rothstein's new book, "Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic, and Educational Reform to Close the Black-White Achievement Gap" argues that "many social and economic manifestations of social class also have important implications for learning." Unless these issues are addressed with educational issues, the gap will not be closed. Rothstein closes with a discussion of the social and educational reforms that could close the gap. (Bonus: He also provides an interesting appendix, "What employers say about graduates. The nine surveys he cites conclude that employers are more concerned with soft skills such as communications, problem-solving, and work ethics than academic abilities.) To access the news release, view the table of contents, and read an excerpt from the book, to to http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/books_class_and_schools.

To quote Andy Rotherham in "The New Face of Inequality," in NDOL's Blueprint magazine, "..today, as a legal matter, the battle for access to public education is largely over, [but] a new struggle for quality and equity has taken its place…. It is the staggering gaps in academic achievement and outcomes separating minority and white students that demand the immediate attention of policymakers." To read how No Child Left Behind may or may not address these inequities, go to http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?cp=1&kaid=110&subid=900023&contentid=252576.

Is same-sex education a step backward, forward or sideways from the Brown v. Board decision? Are the proposed changes to Title IX that would make creating same-sex classes and schools easier a good thing or a bad thing? For an interesting discussion of the issues, go to "Separating the Sexes: A New Direction for Public Education? Bush Administration's Plan Coincides with Rising Popularity of Such Schools" at http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0525/p11s02-legn.html.

Continuing our reflection on how far we've come since Brown v. Board of Education, we note that "No Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in Learning" by Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom was released last month by Simon and Schuster. Calling for "drastic action to overcome this national crisis," the authors dissect the reasons for the gap, with particular attention to the cultural component, and examine schools that have been successful in closing the gap. Unfortunately, this book is not available on-line, but you can view the table of contents, read the introduction, and order the book at http://www.simonsays.com/excerpt.cfm?isbn=0743204468&areaid=33. Warning: Depending on your computer's settings, you may need a magnifying glass to read the excerpts. (From Vol. 2, No. 2, November/December 2003)

Visit the National Coalition for Equity in Education's Web site for a list of questions on equity ranging from classroom practices and assessment to adult culture and policy at http://www.ncee.education.ucsb.edu/discussionareas.htm.) (From Vol. 2, No. 1, September/October 2003)