This year marks 70 years since the Supreme Court issued its historic decision in the Brown v. Board of Education lawsuit. The landmark ruling outlawed racial segregation in public schools.
Rights4Children recently hosted a panel discussion and reception in commemoration at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Wednesday’s special edition of “Closer Look” includes the two-part panel discussion moderated by show host Rose Scott.
For the first part of the conversation, we hear from Harold Scott, Rev. Henry Mathis and Phyllis Jackson-Scott, who all participated in integrating K-12 public schools in Georgia. Cathy Loving, a former Atlanta Public Schools archivist and assistant to Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, also participated in the discussion.
The panelists talked about their experiences and reflected on the good, but also the challenges, that occurred after the groundbreaking ruling.
For the second part of the conversation, the guests continued with their reflections about transitioning from all-Black schools to integrated classrooms. They discussed their first year at the schools — facing racism and isolation. Some of the panelists talked about the trauma they experienced and interactions with white teachers and white students.
