Monday, May 17th commemorates the 56th anniversary of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision that ended legal segregation. This U.S. Supreme Court decision was pivotal in U.S. history because it sparked the civil rights movement and reminds us that there is an opportunity for us all to do more to uphold the intent of this mandate.
As a former elected school board trustee who advocated for equity and accountability and as the author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success, it seemed important to reflect about the Brown decision. Consider this:
- The landmark Brown decision included more than 200 plaintiffs who experienced unimaginable hardships and retribution. Amazing courage was required from the parents, advocates, and students. They took the time and occasion to speak up about problems within their communities. How can we make time to get more involved in our communities?
- The Brown case came before the Supreme Court and included cases from five different states including Delaware, Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, DC. The Kansas case was named for Oliver Brown as a legal strategy to have a man head the plaintiff roster. Isn’t it interested how times changed where women now head plaintiff rosters?
- For the Virginia case, one of the few high schools available for African Americans in Prince Edward County was Robert Russa Moton High School. With grossly inadequate classrooms, a student strike was led in 1951 by sixteen year old Barbara Johns. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) soon joined their quest to get better school facilities and filed it with the courts. How does this inspire contemporaries to joining forces creatively?
- Following the Brown decision, there was the tragic Mississippi demise of Emmett Till in August 1955, the courageous refusal of Rosa Parks to give up her seat in December 1955 in Alabama, the notable Montgomery bus boycott also in Alabama, the brave “Little Rock Nine” blocked from entering Central High School in Arkansas in 1957, and initial sit-ins at a North Carolina lunch counter in 1960. What can leaders learn from history to again mobilize community engagement endeavors?
From history and the landmark Brown decision, there are so many ways we can all learn about the tenacity to stand up and face adversity in the name of justice. When we do that, we can be grateful for what we have learned from those who have paved the way.
