In the landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954) Supreme Court case, the justices ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. Today, simply teaching and learning about race and racism in schools is being questioned and is broadly referred to as teaching critical race theory (CRT), a practice that is shunned because of claims that it indoctrinates children. This sentiment has spilled over into higher education, and similar goals to regulate and restrict exposure have cropped up. The panelists in this session will highlight some of these issues as the U.S. moves toward the 70th anniversary of the Brown case.

Chasing the Spirit of Brown is sponsored by Mark Anthony Gooden, Ph.D., Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Professor in Education Leadership, Teachers College Columbia University.