May 17, 2004 marks the 50th anniversary of the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision, which outlawed school segregation in our nation. As a child raised in the segregated south and educated in a segregated school system, I find it an interesting time in my personal life to be leading a statewide association that is committed to delivering a thorough and efficient education to all of New Jersey’s children.

I think this particular anniversary of the Brown decision presents a perfect opportunity for education leaders to recommit themselves to the ideal of equal access and a quality education. The walls and the barriers within our society declared illegal by that decision are a symbol for all of us to do our best to take this generation to a level that couldn’t be imagined 50 years ago.

Segregation by law no longer exists. However, we continue to struggle with our obligation to provide equal educational opportunities for all children—whether the issue revolves around special educational needs, fair and adequate school funding, or racial/ethnic/cultural diversity.

New Jersey continues to play its traditional role as a port-of-entry state for people from other places who want to make America their home and their future. Whether they speak Ukrainian, Gujarat, Spanish or Creole, people come to our nation and state with the hopes and aspirations that are reflected in Brown. On the simplest level, Brown deals with the rights of black students not to be forced to attend segregated public schools. On a broader level, the landmark decision addresses equity, justice, and the promise that every child deserves the right to a high quality public education.

This past January, I traveled to Washington, D.C. with members of the NJSBA executive board to attend the National School Boards Association Leadership Conference. As part of the program, there was a segment commemorating the Brown decision with reflections on the past 50 years. It was a moving experience for me because some of us were witnesses to those difficult times of the past, and all of us were there acknowledging that the face of education had been changed forever by the Brown victory.

Most recently, corporations in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Education and other local education entities have been celebrating the significance of Brown. I had the privilege of attending a statewide event sponsored by Prudential Insurance Company to hear Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak. From his unique perspective, Tutu traced for the audience the many incidents where the willingness of citizens to confront racism made a difference. Just as apartheid was defeated in his own country of South Africa, he noted that the evil of segregation, once approved by the laws of our land, could only be rooted out by people of courage and persistence.

I am thankful to the state Department of Education and to Prudential for inviting me to that special celebration. It served to strengthen my resolve that the lessons from that day of celebration will not be forgotten. I feel it is most important that we not let this 50th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education pass by like any other day.

It is therefore our intent to devote this commemorative edition of our premier communication tool to issues addressed in the lawsuit. We hope that the remembrances and commentary presented here will help readers to appreciate the significance of that Supreme Court decision in 1954, and reflect on the purpose and the dream that motivated the plaintiffs involved.

—Edwina M. Lee, Executive Director, New Jersey School Boards Association