Read what Washington state's governor had to say about Brown.
Participant Gary Locke, governor of the state of Washington, did not respond to specific questions but instead prepared a general statement regarding the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.
Here is the complete text of that statement:
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka is obviously one of the most important U.S. Supreme Court decisions of the 20th century. The decision struck a fatal blow against institutionalized racism in public schools. Its significance as a turning point in America runs even deeper.
Brown recognized the complexity of racism and the profoundly permanent effects of segregation on minority students — what Thurgood Marshall referred to as the "badge of inferiority."
Brown also attacked a pernicious, cowardly and inhumane practice — the physical separation of a segment of our society solely because of race. This same mentality led to the internment of the Japanese during World War II, and can be found elsewhere in our history.
The Brown decision elevated public debate on the harms of segregation, and arguably forced a more responsible view of past mistakes and what we can learn from them.
The Brown case was an inevitable culmination of the public outcry against blatant inequalities in segregated education. Court cases from several states were working their way up to the Supreme Court, challenging segregation. These cases were consolidated as Brown v. Board of Education.
The facts in Brown painfully dramatized the cruel and wrong results worked by segregation.
Linda Brown, a seven-year-old 3rd-grader, lived a safe seven blocks from an elementary school. But it was a white elementary school, so she was required to walk six blocks to a bus stop, crossing a hazardous rail yard, then take a one hour and 20 minute bus ride to get to the black elementary school some 21 blocks from her home. Her case shamefully dramatized a practice that was required by law in 17 states and the District of Columbia.
Chief Justice Earl Warren, new to the Court, was a former governor of California. Beyond his legal expertise and stature as a jurist, he was also a highly pragmatic and effective politician. Warren's ability to persuade his eight fellow justices to support a unanimous decision — and a single opinion in the case — was important to its impact.
The concise, direct nature of Warren's opinion also reflects this highly pragmatic approach. Warren believed segregation was wrong, and understood that the decision in the case must be supported by a forceful, unequivocal and well-reasoned judicial opinion that spoke for the Court in a unified voice. His opinion in Brown stands as a model in simplicity and clarity.
We have continued to struggle as a nation in battling discrimination since Brown. One of today's most prominent inequalities in education is the wide disparity in achievement between low-income minority students and white students.
The battles have changed since Brown, but the stakes are the same and they are very high. Equality in public education is a birthright, and we must continue in our efforts to close this achievement gap.
Just as Brown made historic progress 50 years ago, today we have an important opportunity — and a moral responsibility — to advance the cause of equality in our schools.
And perhaps that's the lasting and most inspiring legacy of Brown v. Board of Education. The decision reminds us that no matter how institutionalized a wrong is, and no matter how difficult it will be to remedy the problem, it all begins by standing up and saying "This must change."
Brown is a lasting testament to the power of justice and individual responsibility in a democracy.