Fifty years after the Supreme Court struck down the doctrine of "separate but equal" school facilities for black and white children, a UB department is hosting a prominent civil rights speaker to mark the anniversary.
The Department of African American Studies has invited Mary Frances Berry, the current chairperson of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, to speak this Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Center for the Arts Screening Room.
"We are inviting Mary Frances Berry to speak to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling," said Bertha Boston, the department's assistant chair.
Berry has dedicated her life to ensuring equality to African Americans, especially in education, Boston said.
The Brown v. Board of Education case in Topeka, Kansas, began with a third-grader named Linda Brown, one of the many black students who were forced to attend all-black schools due to the "separate but equal" doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson.
Although there was a school located just seven blocks from her house, it was an all-white school, so Brown had to walk nearly a mile - part of it through a railroad switchyard - to attend school.
Brown's father and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People worked with 13 other black parents to bring their case against the Board of Education in Topeka.
On May 17, 1954 the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the "separate but equal is inherently unequal." It ordered all 21 states in America with segregated schools to desegregate.
The Department of African American Studies hopes that students of all races will attend Berry's presentation.
"Anyone interested in social justice and equity should attend the lecture," said Lillian Williams, the department's chair.
Berry is a professor of history and law at the University of Pennsylvania and a dedicated activist for African American rights. She was involved with the Free South Africa Movement, which aimed at establishing a democracy in South Africa.
In 1980, Berry was appointed by President Carter to the Civil Rights Commission. In 1993, President Clinton named her commissioner.
Williams, the department chair, said that the historic Brown decision inspired UB to bring Berry to campus.
"It's probably the most important Supreme Court Decision over the last 50 years," said Williams.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
