On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States under Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered its verdict in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka. By a unanimous vote, the judges found that "in the field of public education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place." Civil libertarians at the time hailed Brown v. Board of Education as a momentous legal victory. For millions of African American, Latino, Native American, and Asian American parents it was a dream come true. It meant that their children would no longer be forced to go to school under the same conditions that they and their parents endured. For the first time in U.S. history, children of color would have equal access to public education–and, hopefully, with equal education would come equal opportunities in adulthood.

It is now fifty years later, and unfortunately the jury is still out. Was the promise of Brown v. Board of Education realized–– and if not, why? What real gains have been made and what losses sustained as a result of the decision? What has been its impact socially, culturally, economically, and psychologically?

In an attempt to find answers to these and other crucial questions concerning school integration and the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, the editors of Black Issues in Higher Education solicited the opinions of a diverse group of activists, scholars, jurists, educators, and theorists. The result is The Unfinished Agenda of Brown v. Board of Education, a collection of essays offering a range of enlightening, thought provoking, and, at times, highly controversial views by the likes of the civil rights activist and jurist Derrick Bell, National Public Radio senior correspondent Juan Williams, Harvard Law School professor Charles Ogletree, the internationally known educator Mary Hatwood Futrell, and others.

The Unfinished Agenda of Brown v. Board of Education is enriched throughout by poignant oral histories in which many of those involved with the case–including plaintiffs, attorneys, teachers, students, and activists–share their firsthand experiences with segregation and the struggle for educational equality.

A provocative and inspiring exploration of a pivotal moment in our history, this book is both a celebration and thorough reassessment of Brown v. Board of Education and its legacy.