The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education recognized that the access toeducation is fundamental to ensuring equal opportunity for all Americans. But Brown was momentous not simply because it affirmed the right of black and brown children to be treated equally in the classroom, but also because it reinforced a core principle: that equity is central to our democratic society. While Brown energized the civil rights movement, we know that making its promise a reality has proved challenging, to say the least. The enactment of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was one way of implementing the civil rights principles fought for in Brown.
