John,

At the kitchen table, my father always told us: "They can take everything away from you. But not your education. So get one!" This was coming from a man who at the age of 14 had to end his education to help save the family farm, so every time he said it, we all knew he meant it.

A thousand miles away from our kitchen table, Oliver Brown — a man of my father's generation — was probably saying something very similar to his own children. He wanted a better education for his children and went to extraordinary lengths to make it happen.

As a Black man in Topeka, Kansa, in the 1950s, Oliver Brown knew that segregated schools for Black students were under-funded, understaffed, and generally undervalued. Meanwhile, white students received more qualified teachers, more opportunities, and better education. So, in 1951, Oliver Brown sought to enroll his daughter in the nearest school, a segregated white school, so she could have a better education and because he knew then what we all know now: separate was never equal.

On May 17th, 1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of Mr. Brown and declared that the racial segregation of schools was unconstitutional. This catalyzed the Civil Rights Movement, and drove Americans to march in the streets and fight for desegregation in all aspects of American life.

It took years for schools to desegregate; in some parts of the country, schools remained segregated until the early 1970s. Since then, the United States has changed a lot, and so has education. Still today, in the age of smartboards and chromebooks, far too many students are left behind by inequity in our educational system.

The promise of opportunity has always been built on quality education. Brown v. Board of Education offered an opportunity for better education regardless of a student's race or ethnicity, but there is still a lot of work to do to ensure every student has access to a good education. So, on the 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, let us all celebrate what our civil rights heroes accomplished all those years ago and continue to work for more equality and better education for each and every student.

Thank you,

Denny