Fifty years ago, a third-grader changed the course of America's race relations. Linda Brown walked a mile every day to school despite living near a closer school. She was unable to attend the school closer to her home because she was black and the doctrine of "separate but equal" reigned.
Her parents, along with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, brought a suit against the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas and won. Segregation of schools legally ended on May 17, 1954.
The decision in Brown v. Board of Education marked the beginning of the modern struggle for equal rights in a nation blighted by the scars of slavery. While overturning the ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson, which allowed for "separate but equal" public facilities, Brown opened whole new worlds to both blacks and whites - the exclusion of people who differed from the majority harmed not only those who were excluded. The socialization that desegregation provides promotes acceptance and diversity among everyone.
Here at UB, we are fortunate to have a relatively diverse population - about 22 percent minority. But all students know there is a difference between diversity and integration. Anyone who walks through the Student Union on a given day will notice large groups of students separated by race and ethnicity. This flies in the face of what the importance of diversity at any academic institution is meant to represent, the ability to learn not only in the classroom but also from your peers.
The celebration of diversity is an ongoing event here at UB. Hardly a week goes by without a cultural night or lecture, but the audiences at these events are rarely as diverse as they should be. To realize the full potential of their education, students must be aware that every day they spend here is a chance to explore another culture's experience.
Brown v. Board of Education was not the end of the civil rights struggle. Although UB is diverse, it can improve its own community. Cuts to the state's Tuition Assistance Program and SUNY's Educational Opportunity Program will affect the number of disadvantaged students who are able to attend UB. New York State's economic troubles deserve attention and investment. But as state officials mark fifty years since the modern civil rights endeavor, they must make equal opportunity in the SUNY system a greater priority.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
