The 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, a cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement, mandated the desegregation of schools nationwide, aiming to provide equal opportunities and resources for all students. However, seven decades later, a study by the Southern Education Fund reveals that segregation in schools persists—and, in some cases, is worsening.
The report, titled Miles to Go, highlights key issues such as funding inequities, entrenched segregation patterns, and disciplinary policies disproportionately affecting Black students.
Raymond Pierce, President and CEO of the Southern Education Fund, acknowledged that these challenges are far from new.
“Many of the symptoms and the disparities in this report are disparities and concerns that have been expressed over the decades with regard to the education available for African-American students in this case, particularly in the state of Mississippi. So a lot of this is not new,” Pierce stated.
Pierce noted some progress in the past, particularly during the desegregation era.
