50 Years Since Brown v. Board
By Margaret Lyons in News on May 17, 2004 10:02PM
Today marks 50 years since the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Brown v. Board of Education, ruling that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Chicagoans celebrated the landmark case by re-enacting the oral arguments and the Court's decision. Illinois Chief Justice Charles Freeman and Justice Anne Burke were on hand this morning at Chicago State University on the South Side to participate, and the re-enactment was broadcast to students all across Illinois.
Many of the political types at the event this morning used todays celebration to discuss current concerns about inequality in Illinois and specifically in Chicago public schools. According to the Civil Rights Project, Illinois is one of the most segregated states, (download the pdf of the report here, and there is still plenty of debate over whether Brown has succeeded.
Chicagoist is excited to see I Sit Where I Want: The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education tonight on Noggin, the most forward-thinking tweener channel ever.