60 Years Later: The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School

COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Speaking and Listening

“We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” These are the words of the landmark Supreme Court decision on May 17, 1954 that declared segregated schools unconstitutional. Sixty years later, even though much progress has been made, there are still great inequalities and disparities in our school system.

In this lesson, students will learn more about the Brown v. Board of Education ruling and will study two infographics in order to analyze and reflect on the modern day “school-to-prison pipeline” and the opportunity gap that both exist in our public schools.