Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, this week marks the 56th anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education. It was a landmark case known throughout this country for putting an end to segregated schools. The case was argued before the Supreme Court by the chief counsel for the NAACP, Thurgood Marshall. The decision by the Justices was unanimous when they declared that the State laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students was unconstitutional. There followed a period of national debate and unrest over the decision. Then, in 1965, Congress passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which emphasized equal access to education and established high standards and accountability in schools. Fifty-six years after Brown and 45 years after the first ESEA, we are not finished with our common goal of education equity for all students, whether they attend schools in the inner city or rural America. As we contemplate ESEA reauthorization, I call upon my colleagues here in the House to support a world-class education system that provides every student with the opportunity to live up to his or her individual potential regardless of race, class, or geographic location. This would be the greatest and best remembrance of this landmark case. ____________________”