NEW YORK – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman issued the following statement ahead of tomorrow’s 60th anniversary of the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education:
“The United States of America was founded on the principle of equal justice under law, but equal justice did not become a reality when the Declaration of Independence was signed, or when the Constitution was ratified. Instead, it’s been the task of each successive generation of Americans to strive toward ever greater justice and equality. Now, we mark the anniversary of one of our most important milestones in that struggle, the culmination of a decades-long campaign by civil rights lawyers and activists. Sixty years ago, in Brown v. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the principle of separate but equal, beginning the long, halting process of desegregating our nation’s public schools. Just as the court recognized then, education remains one of the bedrocks of our democracy, and the key to success for children and families across our nation. Let us commemorate this landmark ruling, one that changed our state and our nation, and redouble our efforts to advance the civil rights of all New Yorkers. We must keep fighting to ensure that every child gets a fair shot at success and everyone plays by the same set of rules.”
In commemoration of the court’s ruling, attorneys from the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Bureau will lead presentations for NYC public school students at the Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice regarding the importance of the Brown ruling and the continuing significance of diversity in classrooms.
For more of Attorney General Schneiderman’s work to promote civil rights in New York State, visit here. Recent cases handled by the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Bureau have helped to promote civil rights compliance in a broad number of areas. The Bureau has helped to safeguard voting rights, promote access to fair housing and lending opportunities, address barriers to equal employment opportunities, secure greater access to public accommodations for individuals with disabilities and combat ongoing racial and gender inequality. The Bureau seeks to lift barriers faced by persons based on sexual orientation, language ability and criminal conviction status. The Bureau’s goal is to combat discrimination faced by all New Yorkers, particularly among the most vulnerable individuals in our state.
The Civil Rights Bureau Chief is Kristen Clarke. The Bureau is part of the Social Justice Division, which is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Alvin Bragg.
The Attorney General's Office is committed to promoting equal justice under law. To file a complaint, contact the Civil Rights Bureau at (212) 416-8250, civil.rights@ag.ny.gov or visit www.ag.ny.gov.