NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm very curious, and I hope to get a lot of responses to this.

How many of you (especially Americans) know what Brown vs. the Board of Education is?

What impact has it had in the US?

Has it had an impact on your life today, or in society today?

What has been accomplished since the 1954 decision?

Does further work re. segregation and equality need to be done, or have we accomplished what Brown v. the Board of Education set out to do?

Have we perhaps gone too far trying to create equality in our society?

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My own personal take on Brown v. the Board of Education...

I think that those who fought in the struggle for Civil Rights in the 50's and 60's are real heroes...especially those who used non-violent means, and risked and sometimes paid with their lives.

However; I think that we are far from where we should be today in realizing the true meaning of Brown v. the Board of Education.

America is still a nation divided; segregated. We are separate, but unequal.

I believe that the crux of the problem is economic disparity. Many of us live in segregated communities and neighborhoods; not because the laws demand it, but because many minorities cannot afford to live in more affluent, or even middle class areas.

Economic power = political power, and until this economic disparity in our country is completely and thoroughly addressed, minorities will continue to suffer from inferior education, inferior public facilities, a real chance to advance on a equal footing with their counterparts in other socio-economic groups, and to lack a meaningful political voice.

I wish I knew how to change things economically for minorities, or for those trapped by economic circumstances. This, it seems to me, is the most difficult part of the struggle; because, in order for minorities to gain economic and political power, others have to give up some of that power which they are hold today. I wish I were more sanguine about the altruism of the human spirit, but I doubt that many of those in power would be willing to share that power with others.


Please share your own views, thoughtfully and courteously. Thanks.

I think this is very similar to the current gay marriage fiasco.

It hasnt had any impact on me because my town is not ethnically diverse. Here is a breakdown of my demographics. 100% of the african americans in my grade are in one of my classes, these 2 people are also 66% of the african americans in my school (of 800 people). I am friends with 100% of the hispanic males (1)in my grade. The only other hispanic in my grade is his sister. my friend told me that where he used to live it was the opposite and a white kid was as common as he is in our school.

I dont think it had an impact outside of the south and the big cities. My dad told me when he grew up in boston the schools were segregated. The diffrence between now and then is that minorites live in cities rather than neighborhoods.

It was on segregation in schools, right?

It was on segregation in schools, right?

Yep. And after hearing about it for a month straight, i'm sick of it.

It was on segregation in schools, right?

The courts ruled that segregation was not "seperate, but equal" It was rather "seperate, and unequal"

Brown vs. Topeka, yes, I know this well...

Brown vs. Topeka, yes, I know this well...

...and doesn't every other American that hasn't been living in a hole for the past month or so.

It was on segregation in schools, right?

Yes, and and since schools are public facilities, the precedent was used to end segregation of all public facilities.

I'm very curious, and I hope to get a lot of responses to this.

How many of you (especially Americans) know what Brown vs. the Board of Education is?

What impact has it had in the US?

Has it had an impact on your life today, or in society today?

What has been accomplished since the 1954 decision?

Does further work re. segregation and equality need to be done, or have we accomplished what Brown v. the Board of Education set out to do?

Have we perhaps gone too far trying to create equality in our society?


1. I'm American, I know what Brown vs. BoE was

2. Pretty big impact. It led to the desegregation of schools in the Southern States of America. And it was one of the final movements to fully end the conflicts brought up by the American Civil War.

3. Yes. Despite the U.S. not being totally desegregated, it has led to a much smaller percentage of whites racist against blacks. Also, the KKK is a mere joke now. That wasn't the case 50 or 60 years ago.

4. Schools were desegreated (not all however), and it sparked up the fact that segregation was not "seperate, but equal." It's rather "seperate and unequal"

5. Further work needs to be done.