Jon L. Christensen: “as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of school desegregation in Arkansas and celebrate nine brave young people and the…”

“as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of school desegregation in Arkansas and celebrate nine brave young people and the families that supported them, it is a day of bittersweet reflection because the dreams they sought to fulfill for generations of African Americans remain still not fully realized. Today, as in 1957, we believe that education will help African Americans to get better jobs and to gain influence in American society. But, 50 years later, the struggle is not over. While in 1957, African American students struggled to get into high schools, today they struggle to stay in school. In describing the current state of education for African Americans, an author stated ``burdened with a history that includes the denial of education, separate and unequal education, and religion to unsafe, substandard inner-city schools, the quest for quality education remains an elusive dream for the African American community.'' The current drop out rate among African American males is estimated at 40 percent, 72 percent are jobless, and the likelihood of being incarcerated is 60 percent. Fifty years later, the playing field is not leveled. H. Res. 668, not only recognizes the 50th anniversary of that momentous occasion on September 25, 1957, but it also calls for all to commit to continuing the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education and the Little Rock Nine by protecting and advancing equal educational opportunity for all.”