On Saturday, May 15, 2004 the new civil rights movement will march on Washington to mark the 50-year anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education and demand an end to separate and unequal education in America.
Fifty years ago the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the great lie of "separate but equal." Fifty years ago the U.S. Supreme Court told the truth that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." Fifty years ago, the truth that educational integration is an essential prerequisite to achieving a just, democratic, and fair society was finally acknowledged by the high court.
Yet today, fifty years after this landmark decision, more black, Latina/o and Native American children attend segregated and unequal schools than ever before.
Then, as now, only the power of a growing mass civil rights movement can make the court's decision real and move this society toward the long-deferred promise of integration and equality.
On April 1, 2003, the new civil rights movement showed how the power of mass struggle can defeat the attacks on the gains we have made toward realizing Martin Luther King's Dream. We marched together over 50,000 strong, people of all races, young and old, defending affirmative action at the U.S. Supreme Court. Our unity and our strength brought us victory. To move forward - to make progress toward achieving integration and equality in education, we must start with defending this precious high court victory for affirmative action.
Despite real progress and overwhelming popular support for the gains of the Civil Rights Movement, a growing majority of black, Latina/o and Native American students are educated in underresourced and understaffed, separate and unequal schools. The right-wing attacks on our progress toward integration have done real harm. The setbacks we have suffered are the direct result of a well organized and concerted legal and political attack on the integrationist gains of the 1950s and 1960s.
We must defeat these new segregationists, just as we did their predecessors by organizing a mighty, integrated, independent and active youth-led civil rights movement.
Now it is our duty to realize the promise of Brown, so long deferred and still so necessary for progress to occur within our nation. On May 15, 2004, we will march and rally in Washington, DC - young and old of all races and backgrounds, united and proud. We march for equal educational opportunity for all, to defend affirmative action, integration, and immigrant rights. Achieving King's Dream of integration and justice today requires the defense of affirmative action and defeating the right-wing attacks on immigrants. We march together determined never to waver until equality is won.
All of us who are genuinely committed to the ideal of a truly integrated and equal society must do more than simply commemorate the Brown v. Board of Education decision. We must struggle. We must organize. We must march.
March on Saturday, May 15, 2004. March to put an end to separate and unequal education. March for equality and integration. March to defeat the right-wing attack on immigrants. March to say that everyone in America deserves equal opportunity. March for Martin Luther King's Dream. March to realize the promise of Brown v. Board of Education.
Go to www.bamn.com/may15/index.asp to download posters, flyers, chant sheets, slogans for sign making, get directions, view endorsers
The events of the weekend of May 15-17 will be a beginning. We will begin a national civil rights campaign to realize the unfulfilled promise of Brown v. Board of Education. We will launch a national struggle for integration and equality in education at all levels. Join us.
12:00PM - 4:00PM
Civil Rights March on Washington to Realize the Unfulfilled Promise of Brown v. Board of Education and Defend Affirmative Action! !No More Separate and Unequal!
Rally at Upper Senate Park (Constitution Ave., North of U.S. Capitol)
March to Supreme Court and Rally
4:00PM - 7:00PM
Hotel and hostel check-in
7:00PM
Eight National Conference of the New Civil Rights Movement: Realizing the unfulfilled promise of Brown v. Board of Education
Opening Plenary Session: "April 1, 2003 to the 50-Year Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education: How the tactics of the integrated, youth-led, integrated new civil rights movement is defeating Ward Connerly and the right-wing initiatives to end affirmative action and to deny immigrant rights"
Shanta Driver and Luke Massie, BAMN National Co-Chairs
Location: Howard University - Douglass Hall
Sunday, May 16, 2004
8:30 AM, 11:30 AM
People's Congregational Church, 4704 13th St NW, Washington, DC Reverend Knighton Stanley, Affirmative Action Super Sunday, guest speaker Shanta Driver, BAMN National Spokesperson, United For Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund (UEAALDF) 12:00PM - 7:00PM
Conference continues. Conference will include plenary sessions, panel discussions, and role playing and skills workshops.
Topics to be covered:
1. Equal quality integrated education: The practical tasks of the new civil rights movement and the struggle to realize the promise of Brown
2. The new youth-led civil rights and immigrant rights movement in California
3. Perspectives for university campus and high school organizing in the upcoming year
4. The occupation of Iraq and the New Civil Rights Movement - Fighting racism at home and abroad
5. Getting Ward Connerly off the U.C. Regents - Securing another victory for affirmative action
Location: Howard University - Douglass Hall
Monday, May 17, 2004
9:00 AM
Teacher/parent/student field trips and others will assemble at the DC Public Schools Building - 825 N. Capitol St., NE (at I Street, NE)
On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the segregationist lie that "separate" could be "equal." Washington, D.C. students played a key role in this historic civil rights victory. Students from Washington, D.C. opposing separate, unequal education were a part of the five Brown cases. The Washington, D.C. case, Bolling v. Sharp, called for schools throughout the Washington, D.C. area to become integrated and equal. Fifty years after the Brown decision, we still have a long way to go to achieve equal, integrated quality education for all students in Washington, D.C. Monday, May 17, 2004 is our day to acknowledge our historic victory in Brown and to put the demand for equal, quality education back on the American political agenda.
10:00 AM
March to the Supreme Court
11:00 AM - 1:00PM
Rally and Press Conference at the Supreme Court
Speakers will include representatives from People's Congregational Church, the NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, BAMN, Howard University, School Without Walls High School, Wilson High School, Eastern High School, and other area-wide colleges and high schools.
For more information on the march and rally, and other activities occurring during the 50th Anniversary Brown weekend, see www.bamn.com, call People's Congregational Church at 202-829-5511 or call Caroline Wong at 313-506-9414 (cell).
Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action & Integration, And Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) www.bamn.com — letters@bamn.com — 2/2/2004
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Last Modified: February 2, 2004.
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