The Obamas are honoring the historic 1954 Supreme Court decision that in many ways made their presence in the White House possible.
On May 15, President Barack Obama signed a proclamation in regard to the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education that recognizes the revolutionary shift that Brown’s decision ushered into our country and the opportunities that it birthed for the African American community.
“Brown v. Board of Education shifted the legal and moral compass of our Nation. It declared that education ‘must be made available to all on equal terms’ and demanded that America’s promise exclude no one,” Obama writes in his proclamation.
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Today, the president is scheduled to meet privately at the White House with the families of the plaintiffs involved in the historic case, members of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and two of the lead lawyers. Meanwhile, First Lady Michelle Obama is traveling to Topeka, KS, where the case started, to talk to graduating high school seniors about the importance of diversity and the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education.
In his proclamation, Obama reminds us all that, “The hope and promise of Brown remains unfulfilled.” He writes, “In the years to come, we must continue to strive toward equal opportunities for all our children, from access to advanced classes to participation in the same extracurricular activities. Because when children learn and play together, they grow, build, and thrive together.”