SPONSOR:

Rep. J. Johnson & Rep. Blakey & Rep. Bolden & Rep. Potter & Rep. Scott, on behalf of all Representatives & Sen. Henry & Sen. Sokola, on behalf of all Senators

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

147th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 62

RECOGNIZING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OPINION OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES IN BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION AND RECOGNIZING THE EFFORTS OF DELAWAREANS INVOLVED IN THE CONSOLIDATED CASES.

WHEREAS, the opinion of the Warren Court in the Brown v. Board of Education case was handed down 60 years ago this past May; and

WHEREAS, the unanimous ruling reversed a previous ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson and found that “separate but equal accommodations” were a violation of the 14^th amendment and denied persons of color the equal protection of the laws of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the ruling found that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal,” effectively beginning the end of racial segregation in our public schools; and

WHEREAS, the ruling’s impacts were even more broadly felt, instituting the principle that the Constitution forbids segregation on the basis of race in any instance; and

WHEREAS, two cases filed in Delaware and heard by the Delaware Supreme Court, Belton v. Gebhart and Bulah v. Gebhart were part of the package of cases examined in Brown, and were the only cases in which the state court held racial segregation was unconstitutional; and

WHEREAS, Louis L. Redding, the first African American member of the Delaware State Bar, argued the Gebhart cases before the Delaware courts, and was successful in winning a ruling in favor of integration; and

WHEREAS, Collins J. Seitz was presiding as the Chancellor of the Court of Chancery at the time the case was heard, and led his court in an opinion railing against the separate but equal principle and racial segregation; and

WHEREAS, Shirley Bulah and Ethel Louise Belton, both students forced to attend a school for African American students, were the plaintiff’s in the two Delaware cases; and

WHEREAS, an integrated society is one that fosters a greater sharing of cultures, ideas, and values, resulting in a richer community experience for all citizens; and

WHEREAS, we must continue to work towards ensuring that we provide the resources necessary to make sure that our schools are accommodating and effective for students of all backgrounds;

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 147^th General Assembly, the Senate concurring therein, that we do hereby recognize 2014 as the 60^th anniversary of the announcement of the opinion in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, and commemorate the impact it has had on our society in those years.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the efforts of the Delawareans involved in the case be recognized commended by the Delaware General Assembly.

SYNOPSIS

This concurrent resolution recognizes 2014 as the 60^th anniversary of the issuance of the Supreme Court opinion in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, and recognizes the contribution of Delawareans to that effort.