Political Quotes

“I join with him this evening to recognize a pivotal anniversary in American history. On May 17, 1954, in Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that racial segregation in our Nation's public schools must be ended with all deliberate speed. In its unanimous vote to overturn the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson, which established the doctrine of separate but equal, Brown v. Board of Education laid the cornerstone for all of the progress towards equal education opportunity for blacks in America. The Brown decision was the beginning of the end for legal segregation in public places in the United States. The African-American community in particular increased pressure on the legal and political establishment to bring an end to State-sanctioned segregation in all public facilities. Of course, we all know about the importance and accomplishments of the civil rights movement. We also know that these achievements were hard-earned. Often they came with an enormous price. The Brown v. Board of Education decision was based on the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. It is also based on the fact that segregation is dehumanizing.”