Center for Social Justice Hosts Conference Examining Public Education

Contact: Erin Campbell, Communications Dept., 510-643-8010, ecampbell@law.berkeley.edu

What: Rekindling the Spirit of Brown v. Board of Education: A Call to Action will explore new approaches for reinvigorating the vision of the historic 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Decision outlawing segregation in public schools.

In preparation of the 50th anniversary of Brown, Boalt’s Center for Social Justice will host a conference examining the current state of public education. The event kicks off with a talk by Elaine Jones, president and counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. Her speech will focus on the unfulfilled promises of the 1954 decision and ideas for increasing equality in education. The conference will continue with a series of panel discussions comparing Brown’s original transformative vision with our current educational system and exploring strategies to create equal opportunity for all students.

When: Thursday, November 13, 4:30 p.m. (address by Elaine Jones)

Friday, November 14, 8:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. (panel discussions)

Where: Booth Auditorium, Boalt Hall, UC Berkeley.

Who: In addition to Elaine Jones, the panel discussions will feature a variety of lawyers, activists and education experts, including Jack Greenberg, attorney for the plaintiffs in Brown and Miranda Massie, lead counsel for the student interveners in Grutter v. Bollinger.

Note: For more information on the conference, contact Erin Campbell at (510) 643-8010 or ecampbell@law.berkeley.edu.