Maryland Bar
Bulletin
Publications :
Bar Bulletin
Editor: W. Patrick Tandy
January, 2004
MSBA Celebrates 50th
Anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education
~Commemorates Landmark Supreme Court Decision~
By Janet Stidman
Eveleth
On May 17, 1954, the
United States Supreme Court began the process of dismantling segregation in this
country’s public schools when it struck down the legal doctrine of “separate but
equal” in the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision. This
monumental high court ruling paved the way for desegregation in this nation’s
schools and the pursuit of equal rights for all citizens. Now, 50 years later,
Maryland’s legal community is coming together to commemorate this milestone with
a host of celebratory events, unique exhibits, school activities, educational
programs and special forums.
Five decades ago, this
hallmark ruling ended legalized segregation in American schools, underscoring
the true meaning of equality. Brown vs. Board of Education was the
driving force behind the civil rights movement in our country. It also generated
a greater awareness of equal protection for all American citizens under our
democracy and rule of law.
“The Brown case
changed the way that we in this country looked at our fellow citizens,” declares
Harry S. Johnson, President of the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA). “It is
significant that lawyers of color, like Thurgood Marshall and Robert Carter,
argued the five school cases before the Supreme Court. Their valiant efforts
improved the lives of all Americans.”
“It is important that
MSBA take the lead in the legal community in coordinating programs commemorating
Brown,” stresses Johnson, who was installed as the Association’s first
African-American President last June. MSBA is planning a number of activities in
2004 as a tribute to the Brown vs. Board of Education 50th anniversary,
and it is working with the broader community to develop and co-sponsor programs
that recognize this momentous occasion.
“Our association has
changed significantly since the 1950s,” MSBA’s President continues. “Thurgood
Marshall could not join the MSBA in 1954, but today I am honored to be its
President. We need to assure that the entire community understands and
celebrates the importance of this decision.”
Education is the thrust
of MSBA’s Brown celebration. The Association will offer an array of
programs and activities to promote the public’s understanding of this
significant landmark decision. Highlights of MSBA’s tribute to Brown will
include two special Law Day major events, both scheduled in May 2004.
First, MSBA and Center
Stage will jointly offer a free Community Forum the evening of May 3, 2004, at
8:00 p.m. at Baltimore’s Center Stage as a public service. Although still in the
planning stage, this forum will feature volunteer MSBA attorneys, judges and law
students who, along with other community professionals, will tell the story of
the Brown case. These “actors” will read and interpret excerpts from
Brown and engage the audience in a discussion of the issues in a
contemporary context.
Then on May 18th,
a student-teacher-lawyer Brown vs. Board of Education statewide
conference will be presented by MSBA’s Public Awareness Committee and the
Association’s Citizenship Law-Related Education Committee. This day-long
educational session, to be held at the Sheppard Pratt Conference Center in
Towson, Maryland, will focus on everything from the highlights of the Brown
case to equality and racial diversity across the U.S. today. Students and
teachers from high schools across the state will be invited to participate in
this educational program.
Additionally, MSBA’s
community Speakers’ Bureau is offering volunteer attorney speakers on the
Brown vs. Board of Education case as another component of MSBA’s
celebration. Throughout 2004, MSBA volunteers will be available to visit schools
and community groups and discuss this landmark decision, along with its
contemporary ramifications. MSBA is working with Maryland’s media to promote
this volunteer service. The Association will furnish expert attorney speakers
for media appearances, too.
Throughout the year,
members will be able to glance at MSBA’s website (www.msba.org) and the
Bar Bulletin for a comprehensive Brown vs. Board of Education
calendar of events of interest to Maryland’s legal community. In May, the Bar
Bulletin will offer a special feature on Brown. MSBA is also working
with the University of Maryland and the University of Baltimore Schools of Law
and a special Maryland Humanities Council Planning Coalition to coordinate and
sponsor Brown activities. The Council offers a master calendar of
Brown events in Maryland and a wealth of resources on its website (www.mdhc.org).
“Brown is not just
part of our history but part of our present,” asserts Johnson. “Just this
summer, the United States Supreme Court again addressed the issue of race and
education in the Grutter case.”
“Even 50 years after
Brown, we as a country are still struggling over the notions of equality and
fairness for all citizens,” concludes Johnson. “As lawyers, we have the ultimate
responsibility of making sure that every citizen has his or her rights protected
and preserved. By focusing on Brown in this anniversary year, we can
remind all of us of our continuing duty to fight for justice.”
