70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, 44545-44546 [2024-11260]

Agencies

• Executive Office of the President

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 21, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 44545-44546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11260]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 99 / Tuesday, May 21, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 44545]]

                Proclamation 10758 of May 16, 2024

                
70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Seventy years ago, the Supreme Court delivered a 
                unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education that 
                outlawed racial segregation in our Nation's public 
                schools, finding that ``separate but equal'' is 
                ``inherently unequal.'' That landmark decision helped 
                us move closer to realizing the idea that defines who 
                we are as a Nation: We are all created equal and 
                deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. 
                While our society has never fully lived up to that 
                idea, we have never fully walked away from it either--
                and on this milestone anniversary, we promise we will 
                not walk away from it now.

                As we commemorate 70 years since Brown v. Board of 
                Education changed our Nation, we also commemorate the 
                important foundation that was laid in Delaware. A 
                mother in Hockessin, joined by the parents of eight 
                other students in Claymont, simply wanted their 
                children to attend school and be treated with dignity 
                and respect. Through Bulah v. Gebhart and Belton v. 
                Gebhart, courageous lawyers and judges in Delaware--
                like Louis Redding and Chancellor Collins Seitz--helped 
                lay the legal groundwork for the Brown v. Board of 
                Education decision to strike down the insidious 
                doctrine of separate but equal.

                Brown v. Board of Education may have opened up schools 
                to all our Nation's students, but the fight to get 
                these students into classrooms persisted. There were 
                still people in power who wanted to pull America back 
                to the past, doing everything they could to keep school 
                doors shut to Black students. Our Nation will never 
                forget the stories of the Little Rock Nine, the group 
                of students who were refused entry to their local high 
                school by the National Guard blocking the doors. We 
                will never forget the story of Ruby Bridges, who at 
                only six-years-old had to be escorted by United States 
                Marshals to her elementary school because an angry mob 
                tried to prevent her from entering. Across the country, 
                Black students who entered newly desegregated schools 
                endured discrimination, harassment, and racism from 
                their peers, educators, and school administrators. Yet, 
                these students in the face of danger returned to class 
                again and again, backed by community and civil rights 
                leaders who were determined to take a stand for racial 
                justice and equity that would benefit future 
                generations of Americans. They showed us that bravery 
                exists in the youngest of hearts, possessing the guts 
                and courage to stand up for the best of our country. 
                All the while, they kept faith in our Nation and in our 
                North Star--the sacred ideals at the heart of who we 
                are.

                Today, we know that the lessons learned from Brown v. 
                Board of Education served as a catalyst for the most 
                fundamental civil rights legislation of our time like 
                the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act. 
                But while the decision in Brown v. Board of Education 
                has allowed so many schools to develop diverse, 
                inclusive learning communities that value empathy, 
                kindness, and tolerance, the full potential of Brown v. 
                Board of Education remains unfulfilled. There is still 
                so much work to do to ensure that every student has 
                equal access to a quality education and that our school 
                systems

[[Page 44546]]

                fully benefit from the diversity and talent of our 
                students--because diversity has always been one of our 
                Nation's greatest strengths.

                Since I came into office, we have prioritized making 
                our schools more equitable. My Administration secured 
                nearly $2 billion in additional Title I funding under 
                the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to help 
                provide a high-quality education to our most 
                underserved students. Additionally, my American Rescue 
                Plan delivered historic funding to our Nation's 
                schools, supporting critical programs that help level 
                the playing field like after-school and summer 
                programs. Further, after the Supreme Court effectively 
                ended affirmative action in college admissions, I 
                directed the Department of Education to analyze what 
                practices help build more inclusive and diverse student 
                bodies. At the same time, we are making sure to tell 
                the full truth of our Nation's history, and I am proud 
                to have signed a bill to expand the historic sites of 
                Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park, 
                preserving this essential history.

                On this milestone anniversary, may we honor the Brown 
                v. Board of Education decision and all the people who 
                have fought so hard to open classroom doors to every 
                student. It is a reminder that the promise of America 
                is big enough for everyone to succeed and that every 
                generation of Americans has benefited by opening the 
                doors of opportunity just a little bit wider to include 
                those who have been left behind. Today, may we 
                recognize the inherent value in having diverse, 
                thriving schools and continue working together to build 
                a future worthy of the dreams and aspirations of our 
                Nation's students.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 17, 2024, 
                as the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. 
                I call upon Americans to honor all the civil rights 
                leaders, activists, educators, and students who have 
                fought for decades to make our schools more equitable 
                and work together to realize the promise of America for 
                every American.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                eighth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2024-11260
Filed 5-20-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P