On the 60th Anniversary of Brown vs Board of Education

Dr. Russell explains the history of the Democratic Party’s fetish for clean people of color with no trace of Negro dialect, and why they have so little concern with de facto segregated and failing urban schools.

Thaddeus Russell, author of A Renegade History of the United States

Traditionally, the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education — which was issued 60 years ago today — has been interpreted as a gift to African-Americans, but in fact the court’s principal justification for its decision was that educational integration would benefit employers and the state. The court made explicit that non-normative black behavior was at odds with the integration of African Americans into the body politic. In ruling segregation in education unconstitutional, the court explained that by depriving blacks of full citizenship, the United States was also depriving itself of the opportunity to create a new class of disciplined and productive workers and soldiers. Writing for the unanimous justices, Earl Warren argued that the schools should be integrated in order to take advantage of this opportunity:

“Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society. It is required in the performance of our most basic public responsibilities, even service in the armed forces. It is the very foundation of good citizenship. Today it is a principal instrument in awakening the child to cultural values, in preparing him for later professional training, and in helping him to adjust normally to his environment.”