President Obama commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision by meeting with the families of the plaintiffs, lead attorneys on the case Jack Greenberg and William Coleman and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
The group met at the White House East room Friday where Obama recommitted to “the long struggle to stamp out bigotry and racism in all their forms,” reports The Grio.
Obama said in a statement that the decision, issued on May 17, 1954 was “the first major step in dismantling the separate but equal doctrine that justified Jim Crow.”
The President continued on the effects and weight of the decision and what is has meant for education, “We reaffirm our belief that all children deserve an education worthy of their promise. And we remember that change did not come overnight, that it took many years and a nationwide movement to fully realize the dream of civil rights for all of God’s children.”
First Lady Michelle Obama traveled to Topeka, Kansas to celebrate the historic day, visiting the site of the lawsuit that sparked the case. She also met with high school students to deliver remarks at a pre-graduation event for seniors in the Topeka Public School District.
“Every day, you have the power to choose our better history — by opening your hearts and minds, by speaking up for what you know is right, by sharing the lessons of Brown versus Board of Education, the lessons you learned right here in Topeka, wherever you go for the rest of your lives,” said Mrs. Obama.