The Struggle Continues: Brown v. Board of Education Ended Legally Sanctioned Segregation, but the Decision's Promise Awaits Fulfillment

Relatively few people, black or white, who know anything about the reality of race relations in America during the 1950s would contest the revolutionary nature of the Supreme Court's 1954 decision in "Brown v. Board of Education." However, 50 years later, scholars are asking whether "Brown" has done more harm than good. There is no denying the case's contribution to ending the evil system of legal segregation and racial oppression in the United States. For many people, it marked a critical turning point in addressing inequities, allowing them to achieve goals that were beyond the aspirations and certainly the reach of black people in 1954. However, recent statistics make it clear that black people are still struggling to enjoy the fruits of equal educational opportunity, despite the gains since "Brown." Moreover, these educational inequalities help to explain enduring economic inequalities. So the struggle continues to make America a place where black people and black institutions are respected; where integration is viewed through the prism of pluralist acceptance; and where low-income and working-class black families have the power to secure the kind of education they desire for their children. The "Brown" decision sent a powerful message by tearing down the legal structures of oppression, but there remains plenty of unfinished business. (Contains 2 figures.)