ACS Hosts Panel on School Desegregation Cases Before the Supreme Court
On November 29, 2006 ACS and the Center for American Progress co-hosted a briefing on two school desegregation cases in which the Supreme Court will hear oral argument on December 4: Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education. The cases, emerging from Louisville, KY and Seattle, WA, involve challenges to the authority of local public school districts to adopt plans aimed at preventing racial isolation. The speakers were experts in the field, including several who represent amici in the litigation and one who released new empirical research findings showing that African-American and Latino students attain better performance in integrated schools. Panelists presented a variety of perspectives on the legal and historical implications of these cases, as well as their impact on public education, race relations, and the promise of Brown v. Board of Education. ACS also hosted another event relating to these cases the evening of December 4, featuring a number of advocates in the case sharing their reflections on oral argument.
The November 29 panel featured from left to right, above:
- John Payton, Partner, Wilmer Hale
(Windows Media or
Real and further comments); - Douglas N. Harris, Assistant Professor of Education and Economics, Florida State University (
Real and further comments); - Moderator Philip Tegeler, Executive Director, Poverty & Race Research Action Council (Windows Media or
Real); - Tomiko Brown-Nagin, Professor of Law and History, University of Virginia School of Law
(Windows Media or Real;) - Terence J. Pell, President, Center for Individual Rights
(Windows Media or
Real and further comments); - Francisco Negrón, Associate Executive Director and General Counsel, National School Boards Association (Windows Media or Real);
- A question-and-answer session followed the panel’s remarks.
- ACS has created a resources page on several Supreme Court cases for the 2006-2007 October term. The resources page contains ACSBlog previews of the cases, streaming video of pre-argument panel discussions by experts, and links to the Court's opinions.
