[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 414 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.Con.Res.414
Agreed to May 19, 2004
One Hundred Eighth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the twentieth day of January, two thousand and four
Concurrent Resolution
Whereas on May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court announced in
Brown v. Board of Education (347 U.S. 483) that, ``in the field of
education, the doctrine of `separate but equal' has no place'';
Whereas the Brown decision overturned the precedent set in 1896 in
Plessy v. Ferguson (163 U.S. 537), which had declared ``separate but
equal facilities'' constitutional and allowed the continued
segregation of public schools in the United States on the basis of
race;
Whereas the Brown decision recognized as a matter of law that the
segregation of public schools deprived students of the equal
protection of the laws under the Fourteenth Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States;
Whereas the Brown decision stood as a victory for plaintiff Linda
Brown, an African American third grader who had been denied admission
to an all white public school in Topeka, Kansas;
Whereas the Brown decision stood as a victory for those plaintiffs
similarly situated to Linda Brown in the cases that were consolidated
with Brown, which included Briggs v. Elliot (103 F. Supp. 920), Davis
v. County School Board (103 F. Supp. 337), and Gephardt v. Belton (91
A.2d 137);
Whereas the Brown decision stood as a victory for those that had
successfully dismantled school segregation years before Brown through
legal challenges such as Westminster School District v. Mendez (161
F.2d 774), which ended segregation in schools in Orange County,
California;
Whereas the Brown decision stands among all civil rights cases as a
symbol of the Federal Government's commitment to fulfill the promise
of equality;
Whereas the Brown decision helped lead to the repeal of ``Jim Crow''
laws and the elimination of many of the severe restrictions placed on
the freedom of African Americans;
Whereas the Brown decision helped lead to the enactment of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of
race, religion, or national origin in workplaces and public
establishments that have a connection to interstate commerce or are
supported by the State;
Whereas the Brown decision helped lead to the enactment of the Voting
Rights Act of 1965 which promotes every American's right to
participate in the political process;
Whereas the Brown decision helped lead to the enactment of the Fair
Housing Act of 1968 that prohibits discrimination in the sale,
rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-relating
transactions, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion,
sex, familial status, or disability; and
Whereas in 2004, the year marking the 50th anniversary of the Brown
decision, inequalities evidenced at the time of such decision have
not been completely eradicated: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That the Congress--
(1) recognizes and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Brown
v. Board of Education decision;
(2) encourages all Americans to recognize and celebrate the
50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision; and
(3) renews its commitment to continuing and building on the
legacy of Brown with a pledge to acknowledge and address the modern
day disparities that remain.
Attest:
Clerk of the House of Representatives.
Attest:
Secretary of the Senate.