Statement from Matt Wesaw, Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, on the 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

Lansing - Matt Wesaw, Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, today released the following statement in recognition of the 60th anniversary of the landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, in which the Supreme Court found that state-sanctioned segregation of public schools is unconstitutional.

“This weekend marks the 60th anniversary of a landmark moment in the struggle for civil rights. The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education forever changed the legal landscape in our nation, declaring once and for all that America’s promise of education and opportunity would be available to every child.

More important than changing our laws, the Brown decision strengthened a movement that would forever change the hearts and minds of a people. In the decade that followed, from public buses and lunch counters to city streets and voting booths, people were inspired to stand up for basic human dignity, ending legalized segregation in all aspects of public life once and for all.

But sixty years later, the promise of Brown remains unfulfilled for too many. Though the Court demanded that desegregation proceed with "all deliberate speed," too many of our schools remain unequal. Too many disparities in income, housing and health care are allowed to continue.

As we mark this important anniversary, may we recommit ourselves to combating the challenges that remain, holding steadfast to our belief that through united struggle can come genuine progress.”

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