22nd Annual AERA Brown Lecture in Education ResearchRethinking Brown When Diversity and Equity Are Imperiled and Democracy Is Fragile

I reflect on the impact of the Brown v. Board of Education decision through the lens of my experience growing up in a racially segregated community in the Arkansas Delta. I trace how Brown and events following during the past 71 years created—albeit unevenly—greater equity and justice for racially marginalized Americans. I then turn to the present, examining the resurgence of White racism and nationalism that threatens efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. I argue that these attacks imperil the nation’s fragile democracy and American Creed values, such as justice and equality. I call on educators to resist the organized and well-funded movement to erase diversity and equity from schools, colleges, and universities by implementing a transformative civic education curriculum—an approach that equips students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to become cosmopolitan and engaged citizens. Such citizens, with reflective cultural, national, and global identifications, can help sustain and advance diversity, equity, and democracy in their communities, the nation, and the world.