Brown V. Board Of Education: The Promise And Challenge Of Multicultural Education

The Brown v. Board ruling declared segregation in schools unconstitutional, therefore promoting integration. Many viewed this as a turning point, the start of a social revolution. However, there is a view that, although positive, the ruling did not do enough to force real change. It is even possible to argue that it increased white opposition, actually hindering the case of Civil Rights. Overall, however, the positive aspects outweighed the negatives, with the psychological effect and legal backing from the court being most important.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas was a milestone in American history, as it began the long process of racial integration, starting with schools. Segregated schools were not equal in quality, so African-American families spearheaded the fight for equality. Brown v. Board stated that public schools must integrate. This court decision created enormous controversy throughout the United States. Without this case, the United States may still be segregated today.

The case of brown v. board of education was one of the biggest turning points for African Americans to becoming accepted into white society at the time. Brown vs. Board of education to this day remains one of, if not the most important cases that African Americans have brought to the surface for the better of the United States. Brown v. Board of Education was not simply about children and education (Silent Covenants pg 11); it was about being equal in a society that claims African Americans were treated equal, when in fact they were definitely not. This case was the starting point for many Americans to realize that separate but equal did not work. The separate but equal label did not make sense either, the

“Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time. I have a dream.” – Martin Luther King Jr. It is because of the Brown vs. The Board of Education court case that allows the University of Texas at Austin, along with hundreds of universities, to be have a diverse student body. This case opened new doors to racial opportunities. What started off as a plea for equality, would change the world in its own way. Brown, who is not defined to one person but rather a group that wanted freedom of segregation from schools, would go against the Board of Education in a duel of words to bring an equal education towards all citizens. Tirelessly fighting against racial

The book “Brown v. Board of Education: A Brief History with Documents” is Waldo E. Martin’s observation on not just the landmark case of Brown v. Board but also the institutionalized racism that was overcome to get there. It also documents other cases that Brown v. Board built upon to get the decision that challenged “separate but equal”. In this text Martin gives a glimpse into not just what the court order did from a legislative standpoint, but from a human standpoint, what happened to the people, community, and society in general both prior and in the wake of the of this monumental decision.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas was a milestone in American history, as it began the long process of racial integration, starting with schools. Segregated schools were not equal in quality, so African-American families spearheaded the fight for equality. Brown v. Board stated that public schools must integrate. This court decision created enormous controversy throughout the United States. Without this case, the United States may still be segregated today.

"According to the article published by Mr. Alex McBride, "Brown v. Board of Education (1954), now acknowledged as one of the greatest Supreme Court decisions of the 20th century, unanimously held that the racial segregation of children in public schools violated the Equal

This paradox is not just affecting low-income and minority students, but also students in non-minority groups as well. When there is no time for focus on skills that students need to participate in social change, these students will not learn to question practices within society or to work with other students from all different groups and backgrounds in order to effect change. Classes in schools which may contribute to multicultural education, such as social studies and foreign language, are being cut completely in order to spend more time on reading and math (Au, 2009). According to Au (2009), since multi-cultural anti-racist perspectives and content are not deemed legitimate by the high-stakes tests and classroom standards, the end result is that multicultural, anti-racist content and perspectives and not being included in the instruction time or curriculum. This reinforces the notion for white students that they are the dominant group in society, and works against the goals of multicultural education.

In 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States was confronted with the controversial Brown v. Board of Education case that challenged segregation in public education. Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court case because it called into question the morality and legality of racial segregation in public schools, a long-standing tradition in the Jim Crow South, and threatened to have monumental and everlasting implications for blacks and whites in America. The Brown v. Board of Education case is often noted for initiating racial integration and launching the civil rights movement. In 1951, Oliver L. Brown, his wife Darlene, and eleven other African American parents filed a class-action lawsuit against the Board of Education

Teaching in racially diverse classrooms often leaves educators feeling uncertain about how to proceed and how to respond to historically marginalized students. There is pressure to acknowledge and accept students of color with different perspectives, to diversify the syllabi, be more aware of classroom dynamics, and pay attention to how students of color experience the learning process.

Critical Race Theory (hereby referred to as CRT) deals with race and racism and is said to be a mixture of the modernist and postmodernist traditions. Beginning in the 1970’s, participants in the legal field explored the post-civil rights society, recognizing a halt in the movement. It became clear that racism still existed, although it was not as outward and overt as it had been in the past. CRT deals with many different aspects of life and society.

Prior to Brown v. Board of Education (1954) most states required racial segregation of their public schools. Although, Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965) all helped to improve blatant segregation on be-half of African-Americans; segregation continues to exist today and the type of; biases have increased.

White only school was only seven blocks away (Campbell). The court ruled in Brown’s favor and declared an end to racially segregated schools due to the unequal education (Campbell). With the Brown V. Board of Education case everyone believed that we as a country had reached a new level of educational equality. However, in today’s world prejudice, oppression and ignorance still exists all around us. Prejudice, or holding back knowledge against others who differ from ourselves, plagues our nation and educational systems.

During this movement, Brown v. Board of Education, a case that is known as one of the greatest Supreme Court decisions in history, played a vital role in allowing students, regardless of race, to attend the same school. In today’s society, where education is vital to getting the best careers and becoming the next leader, students are now given the choice to attend any school of their

Educational systems in the United States are heavily influenced by racial requirements. One of the many requirements that holds a strong impact in these systems is implementing affirmative action in these communities. Affirmative action is a product of “the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement, intended to provide equal opportunities for members of minority groups and women in education” (NCSL). In other words,