Brown v. Board Post.

Your Honor… we are here today to address one of the greatest injustices that our nation is unfortunately faced with. That injustice is the segregation of our schools. It goes much deeper than just buildings and textbooks. It is all about the human spirit. It is also all about the right of every child to dream without limitations and without being scared. It is about being given the opportunity to have access to the tools that are needed to succeed. It is about every human being created in the image of God, with the idea that each of which was made with the same worth and boundless potential.

This case that we are brought here to talk about today is about Linda Brown and children like her who simply because of the color of their skin, are being kept away from the very schools that could unlock their potential and help them towards a successful future. Placing children in separate schools based on race is dividing not only their education but also their hopes/aspirations, and also confidence in themselves and also their country. Mr. Oliver Brown, who is Linda’s father, understood this injustice. He knew that his daughter being forced to attend an underfunded school further from home was not just inconvenient but also was a statement that society deemed her and her people inferior.

How are we able to justify segregation? By pointing to "separate but equal"? No. We know that this so-called equality is fake. The schools set aside for black kids are consistently inferior in many ways such as fewer resources, overcrowded classrooms, and fewer teachers. While separate, these schools are far from equal. The nature of segregation implies inequality enforcing that some children are worth far less than others. It deprives black children of a fair chance to grow and achieve alongside their white peers. And with keeping this distance in access to opportunity, it keeps the black folks at a disadvantage because they’re not properly equipped with the tools needed to stop the cycle. 

Scripture tells all of us to "love your neighbor as yourself" and also to treat others with respect and fairness. As we sit here today, I want you to consider what type of message we are sending when we isolate children in separate schools, just because of their race ( something they can’t control ). What message does it send to the child who walks past a better equipped school only to be turned away? Would any one of us willingly place our own children in a situation, where they are denied the best simply because of who they are? If we truly believe that each child is one of the creations of God, we can’t support a system that denies them the dignity of an equal education.

Beyond moral wrongs lets consider what segregation means for our nation. How can we hope to build a unified country when we teach our children from a young age that they are different and must be kept apart from one another? When we limit a child’s access to knowledge, we are limiting their future. By limiting our children’s future, we are also limiting our own. Segregation makes it to where both black and white children don’t have the chance to learn from one another, to grow up understanding one another, and to prepare for a future in which they will live/work side by side.

I am not asking for special treatment, just equality. We are here to defend the right of every child to give them an education that equips them to achieve their full potential. Ending segregation in schools is about tearing down walls that have stood for too long. If we do not end segregation now, then we risk passing this injustice down to future generations. I pray that we act today, to ensure that Linda Brown and every child who comes after her are treated as equals under the law, in society and in our schools. 

Thank you.