Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Steven Horsford (NV-04) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement commemorating the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education:
“Today, the CBC reflects on the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. This landmark ruling not only declared that the “separate but equal” doctrine was a violation of the 14th Amendment, it laid the groundwork for subsequent civil rights legislation and legal challenges to dismantle segregation in other areas of our society.
“However, despite this landmark decision, the rise in school choice options has given way for public schools to grow more separate and unequal despite our country being more racially diverse. The resegregation we are seeing in our schools is by no means isolated. It is in fact a part of a much larger effort to deny Black communities access to opportunities in our country. Additionally, a lack of federal funding has contributed to this stark disparity, which is why the CBC and Congressional Democrats have continued to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to deliver historic investments in HBCU’s and prioritize federal investment in early childhood learning, head start, and Title I funding for traditionally underserved communities.
“As we reflect on this anniversary, we must urgently confront the attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion and other tools of economic opportunity and push back on efforts to undermine and reverse that progress in our schools, in corporate America, in the federal government, and beyond.”