In advance of a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision that led to the desegregation of America’s schools, Milwaukee’s School & Communities United – a coalition of community, teacher, student, labor, civic and religious organizations – has issued a report on education in Milwaukee.
The 30-page report – "Fulfill the Promise: The Schools and Communities Our Children Deserve" – is a manifesto that declares, "On this, the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, we honor the promise of equal opportunity. We commit ourselves to a revitalized civil rights movement, recognizing the inherent links between strong public schools, healthy communities and a multiracial democracy."
The report was released three days before an eponymous event, slated for Saturday, May 17, that includes a 10 a.m. unity parade that begins at Martin Luther King Park on 14th and Vliet Streets, a keynote speaker at 11 a.m. at the Milwaukee High School of the Arts, on 23rd and Highland, and a 12:30 p.m. working lunch and organizing session that aims to pull together a group of community members and leaders, elected officials, parents and educators in order to craft a call to action.
The keynote speaker, Donna Brazile, is vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and a contributor and commentator on CNN's "The Situation Room" and "American Morning."