Push the boundaries

This past weekend, many students participated in their college commencements. While the percentage of students of color may not be where it needs to be, the fact that my sister was able to walk across the stage is one of the greatest ways to celebrate the 56th anniversary of Brown s Board of education. Because of the courage of 13 parents who fought for the rights of 22 children, my family, my friends, and I have had the opportunity to attend scholastically superior institutions. Section I of the 14th amendment states:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

This law was created in 1868, and slavery had just been abolished in 1865. The laws created are only as good as the people enforcing them, interpreting them, and willing to test them. I am fortunate enough to have reaped many benefits from Brown vs. Board of education by attending private schools for the majority of my life. Unfortunately this is not the case for the majority of people of color. Although Brown vs. Board overturned Plessy vs Ferguson, a case decided in 1896 that stated separate and equal facilities was equal, many minorities still find their children segregated in schools because of socio-economic status, ethnic enclaves, and house zoning.
I can not imagine the difference in my life had I not been challenged intellectually by people who thought differently, looked differently, and were raised differently than myself. Every American benefits when all Americans have equal access. I encourage you to continue to learn about yourself, continue to learn about others, and continue to test the boundaries that way you too may make a difference that will have a ripple effect for years to come.

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