H*5222 Concurrent Resolution, By Harvin
 A Concurrent Resolution commemorating the fortieth anniversary of "Brown VS.
 Board of Education", the landmark United States Supreme Court decision which
 effectively ended racial segregation in the nation's public schools.

   05/19/94  House  Introduced, adopted, sent to Senate HJ-11
   05/24/94  Senate Introduced SJ-21
   05/24/94  Senate Referred to Committee on Education SJ-23
   05/26/94  Senate Recalled from Committee on Education SJ-30
   05/26/94  Senate Adopted, returned to House with concurrence SJ-30

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

COMMEMORATING THE FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF BROWN VS. BOARD OF EDUCATION, THE LANDMARK UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT DECISION WHICH EFFECTIVELY ENDED RACIAL SEGREGATION IN THE NATION'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Whereas, in May, 1954, a unanimous United States Supreme Court, speaking through then Chief Justice Earl Warren of California, rendered its landmark decision on school segregation in the consolidated case of Brown vs. Board of Education; and

Whereas, courageous South Carolinians from Clarendon County were involved in this decision, having filed a similar lawsuit in that county seeking an end to the Supreme Court's 1896 pronouncement that "separate but equal" facilities for the races in public education were legally permissible; and

Whereas, the Clarendon County lawsuit was consolidated with the case arising in Topeka, Kansas (Brown vs. Board of Education) and other similar cases from other parts of the country with the result that the concept of "separate but equal" was struck down and doors were opened, both literally and figuratively, for a large, and long-dispossessed, segment of America's population; and

Whereas, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People led the fight then, and remains in the forefront today, for racial justice and equality under the law; and

Whereas, NAACP officials will be in Clarendon County during May, 1994, to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the decision that cleared the way for desegregation in this country's public schools; and

Whereas, everyone in South Carolina should pause to consider the significance and effect of this landmark court case and consider how to end forever racial injustice regardless of what form it may take. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, commemorates the fortieth anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education, the landmark United States Supreme Court decision which effectively ended segregation in the nation's public schools.

Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the following: Dr. William F. Gibson, Chairman, NAACP National Board of Directors; Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, NAACP Executive Director and CEO; Mr. James Washington, President of the Clarendon branch of the NAACP; Judge Reuben Clark, President of the Manning branch of the NAACP; and Mrs. Marjorie Fleming, widow of longtime Manning NAACP branch president and nationally known civil rights leader, Mr. Billie S. Fleming.