Hooks Institute Conference April 11- Brown v. Board of Education 70 Years Later
THURSDAY APRIL 11, 2024 – Program begins 10:00 a.m.
Brown v. Board of Education: 70 Years Later, Where Will Memphis and the Nation Go Next?
On April 11, 2024, the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change will host a conference to examine the legacy of the Brown v. Board of Education (1954). In one of the most important decisions in the nation’s history, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the separate but equal doctrine that had been the law of the land violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by relegating African American children to second-class citizenship by forcing them to attend segregated schools.
While this decision had a profound impact on helping to eradicate discrimination in all spheres of American life, this conference will examine the impact of the Brown decision on creating equity in education for marginalized groups in Memphis and America Today.
The conference will be held Thurs. April 11, 2024, starting at 10 am in the University Center on the University of Memphis campus. The Hon. Catherine Lhamon, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education will deliver a plenary address and Tona Boyd, Associate Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund of the NAACP (New York) will deliver the keynote address.
A panel of professionals in education, law, and policy will discuss the current state of the quest for racial justice and educational equity. Additionally, a special panel of youth representatives and future professionals will give voice to contemporary experiences of diversity in schooling, racial and educational justice.
This conference is designed to appeal to the legal and education community as well as policymakers and students.
