Chairman Scott Statement on 66th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
WASHINGTON – Today, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement ahead of the 66th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
“This year’s anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education comes at a pivotal and perilous moment in the fight for educational equity. Last month, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that students have a constitutional right to a basic education. But the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated the unequal distribution of resources and opportunity that prevents many low-income and Black students from getting the education they deserve.
“While some students have the tools to learn at home, many others do not have basic internet access and are falling further behind their peers. At the same time, state and local governments are facing unprecedented budget shortfalls, forcing them to consider devastating cuts to public education that will disproportionally affect low-income, disabled, English-learning, and Black students.
“Without a strong federal response, many children will be robbed of the opportunity to succeed in school and life. Today, House Democrats are voting to pass a comprehensive COVID-19 relief package, the Heroes Act, which would provide $915 billion in emergency funding for state and local governments to help avert cuts to education funding and more than $100 billion in direct funding for schools to ensure they can continue serving students and families.
“Sixty-six years ago, the Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education made a promise that we have yet to fulfill. Our response to this crisis must reflect Chief Justice Warren’s declaration that public education ‘is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.’”
To read more about education provisions in the Heroes Act, click here.
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