As we head toward May 17th—the 71st anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education—we reflect on the work of those who came before us, on the changes that landmark decision wrought, and yes, on the ways that Brown’s promise was curtailed and undermined. Public schools need us all now more than ever.
Last week, we introduced our #PublicSchoolsSaveDemocracy campaign, and we want to talk a little bit more specifically about why we believe INTEGRATED public schools save democracy.
The challenges of the last few months have left many of us feeling disheartened and uncertain. But one thing is clear: We cannot afford to retreat into silence. We cannot wait for the next election, the next policy shift, or the next “big moment” to make a change. Democracy is a long-term project, and public schools are at the very heart of that work.
The problem, of course, is school segregation. And in 2024, fully seventy years after the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that separate is inherently unequal and that segregation itself is unconstitutional, it is a problem we all still live with.
At Integrated Schools, one of the essential components of our Theory of Change is Advocate: To build a constituency for brave policy. We believe strongly in principles rooted in equity, one such principle being that all kids benefit from a diverse, multiracial teaching corps. And since we know that the majority of teachers across the country are white women, we clearly have a lot of work to do to support Black teachers and help grow our pool of teachers to more accurately represent our student population.