The Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research was established in 1988 to serve as a living tribute to the attorneys, community organizers and plaintiffs in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision of May 17, 1954, Brown v. the Board of Education.

Our mission is to build upon the work of those involved in the Brown decision, to ensure equal opportunity for all people. Our cornerstone is to keep the tenets and ideals of Brown relevant for future generations through programs, preservation, advocacy and civic engagement.

Equal Protection of the Laws

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the five combined cases known only as Oliver L. Brown et. al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka, (KS) et. al. was a monumental judicial turning point for this nation. The legal challenge was originally led by Charles Hamilton Houston and later Thurgood Marshall along with a formidable legal team. The Brown decision dismantled the legal framework for racial segregation.

By declaring that the discriminatory nature of racial segregation…”violates the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees all citizens equal protection of the laws,” Brown v. Board of Education laid the foundation for shaping national and international policies regarding human rights.

What the Brown decision represents is at the core of United States history and the freedoms we enjoy. It reaffirmed the sovereign power of the people of the United States in the protection of their natural rights from arbitrary limits and restrictions imposed by state and local governments. Those rights are recognized in the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.