Brown and the politics of equality

Abstract

Forty years after Brown v. Topeka Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision declaring de jure segregated schools unconstitutional, we are still seeking the full implementation of that decree. Most Americans accepted limited implementation of Brown, and the degree of acceptance is split along racial lines. Racial dialogue has changed. White Americans, who control the desegregation process, develop integration plans to their advantage. School integration was not implemented until after passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and peaked in 1972. Today, school integration is declining due to a backlash, changing demographics, and declining resources. However, Brown was a success because it rid the country of legalized state segregation by race in education and in other areas of public policy. The Court could merge the equality standards of Plessy v. Ferguson and the integration standards of Brown to give us quality integrated education.In Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka, Kansas (1954), the U.S. Supreme Court decreed that separate but equal schooling was unconstitutional. What were the politics of Brown, and what did African-American plaintiffs seek in that decision?In Brown, African-Americans sought equal education opportunities by requesting an upgrading of black schools and the integration of white schools. African-Americans knew that as a political minority they would lose control over the instruction and the socialization of black children. The black community would lose educators as role models and a source of income and would suffer the psychological stigma of having black schools associated with inferior education. Blacks also saw Brown as a mechanism for attacking other forms of legalized segregation.

Microaggressions and Women in Short-Term Psychotherapy: Initial Evidence

“…These facets were identified by our focus group members and supported by a panel of seven female psychologists. Moreover, items on the MAWS are consistent with themes in the empirical and theoretical literature discussing sexism and microaggressions (APA, 2007;Ancis et al, 2008;Brown, 1994;Enns, 1997;Fassinger & Sperber-Richie, 1997;Fitzgerald & Nutt, 1986;. Initial support for the MAWS was demonstrated by the small negative correlation (albeit not statistically significant) with feminist oriented approaches, suggesting that clients' perceptions of microaggressions were not simply the opposite of positive feminist oriented approaches in therapy (e.g., equalizing power differential) but rather that these two constructs are conceptually dissimilar.…”

“…In one landmark study in 1970 (Broverman, Broverman, Clarkson, Rosenkrantz, & Vogel, 1970), therapists described mentally healthy females as passive, easily excitable, and overly concerned about physical appearance, indicating the use of sex-role stereotypes in their work with clients. Such studies have incited further examination in an attempt to combat gender biases in therapeutic models and diagnostic taxonomies (e.g., Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM]; Ancis, Szymanski, & Ladany, 2008;Brown, 1994;Enns, 1997;Fassinger & Sperber-Richie, 1997;Fitzgerald & Nutt, 1986;Worell & Johnson, 1997). These efforts have also led to the most recent revision of the "Guidelines for Psychological Practice With Girls and Women" (APA, 2007), intended to assist therapists in working more effectively with female clients.…”

The Politics of Diversity: Integration in an Era of Political and Legal Uncertainty

“…Since the Brown (1954) decision outlawing state-mandated separate schools for Black and White children, school desegregation has played a pivotal role in efforts to provide an equal educational opportunity for all children. Brown (1954) was crucial in moving forward the policy discourse surrounding educational equity issues by enabling school districts to provide opportunities for all students to achieve academically (Pitre, 2009).…”

Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1

“…Teachers are a prime example of this opportunity gap. According to Brown (1994), W. E. B. Du Bois predicted that racial integration would result in students dropping out of school.…”

“…Even as a landmark case that set precedence for judicial policy in education and with all its successes, Brown (1954) has met with many challenges. From its inception it has been steeped in politics (Brown, 1994). Similarly, Parents Involved (2007) is the direct result of the prevailing values shaping contemporary education policy.…”