DNC Commemorates 54th Anniversary of Historic Brown v. Board Decision

May 19, 2008 -- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement on the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, handed down 54 years ago last Saturday, May 17th:

"The historic 1954 decision in Brown vs. Board of Education earned a special place in history by rejecting decades of discrimination and unequal access to America's educational system. More than half a century later, however, the growing economic divide in rural, suburban and urban areas of our nation has resulted in a new form of segregation that yields unequal educational opportunities for America's children, often reflected through race and ethnicity. Fifty-four years later, much work remains before us.

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"The Democratic Party is committed to electing a President in 2008 who will work to ensure every child in America has access to a quality education regardless of race, ethnicity, or economic standing. The American people are looking for leadership that puts our nation's best interests first, and that starts by empowering our children with the tools to succeed and reach for the American dream. That includes reigning in the rising cost of attending college, but also insisting that this generation of Americans stop passing on their debt to the generations that follow. And it begins by never forgetting that it took decisions like Brown v. Board to help America move forward."

Source: DNC