Brown v. Board Turns 70: A Call to Action for Education Equity in Illinois

by: Beatriz Diaz-Pollack and Zindy Marquez

A central element of our educational resource equity advocacy is working diligently alongside our community partners to advance the fight for fully and equitably resourced public education, especially increased funding for the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula. The Illinois General Assembly has passed a state budget that includes only the minimum $350 million increase for EBF. This decision once again delays the timeline for fully funding our public school districts across the state.

EBF was designed to ensure that Illinois public schools receive fair and adequate funding. It aims to address the long-standing funding inequalities that have disproportionately affected students of color. As we mark the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, et al., this month,the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case which declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, we should take a moment to consider how this historic case can continue to inform how we think about and fight for equal educational opportunities in the present day. 

Unfortunately, the approved state budget neglects to take meaningful action to address the ongoing disparities in school funding. Despite the promise of EBF and driven by a lack of sufficient investment, Illinois ranks 44th out of 50 in the country in education funding inequity, according to data analysis by Education Law Center, national partners in the fight for educational resource equity. This analysis, conducted using ISBE’s data, further indicates that 84% of students in Illinois, more than 1.5 million, attend schools in underfunded districts, including 92% of all Black and Latine students. 

This stark reality shows how far we still are from fulfilling the promise made by the 1954 Brown decision. While the ruling was an undeniable victory for societal and legal progress, recognizing education as “perhaps the most important function of state and local governments” and the “very foundation of good citizenship,” today's funding inequities highlight that we have yet to achieve true educational equality. The Court's concern that no child could succeed without equal educational opportunities remains just as relevant and pressing today. 

The Brown Court determined that segregating students by race deprived minority children of equal educational opportunities, even if their schools were arguably equal in other ways. Expert testimony in the matter demonstrated that segregation negatively impacted public education and harmed Black children, with the Court affirmatively stating, “To separate [Black students] from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone.” This led to the famous conclusion that "separate but equal" has no place in public education.

This 70th anniversary calls us to reckon with how our present-day public education system is delivering on the promise of equal educational opportunities made by Brown.  

Today’s educational inequities are on stark display across many metrics - the underfunding of public education for communities of color, lack of educator diversity, disproportionality in special education identification and services, and persistent imposition of carceral and punitive school discipline on students of color all have a significant impact on our students of color, particularly Black students, negatively impacting their educational opportunities and lifetime outcomes.  Moreover, despite court mandated integration, the UCLA Civil Rights Project “Black Segregation Matters” recently found that American schools in this era are as segregated as they were in the 1960’s.

Here in Illinois, even as our education community and leaders applaud equity principles, one stark example of how we are failing to live up to the process of equal education opportunities for all students is the persistent underfunding of EBF, which we are seeing again in this year’s state budget process. At the current rate of minimal additional investment just passed in the state budget, EBF will not be fully funded until the 2040’s, leaving generations of students attending under-resourced school districts.

We cannot champion Brown on this 70th anniversary without acknowledging the many ways our public education system is still falling short and underdelivering for our students of color. This anniversary is a reminder of the unfinished business of our nation’s civil rights movement and should serve as a call to acknowledge the harm perpetuated not only students’ educational opportunities, but, to quote the Brown decision, on the “hearts and minds” of Black children, as well as those children persistently disserved by failure to meet promises made in rhetoric and in law.   

We must take action to continue advocating for better educational opportunities for all of our students, not just some. This is exactly the goal of the Partnership for Equity and Education Rights Illinois (PEER IL) coalition. Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights is honored to work with PEER IL’s community-led advocates, to center the lived experiences of students and families of color across the state and, together, push for policies and actions that fulfill Brown’s promise of equal opportunity. 

Our students cannot wait any longer for the fulfillment of those promises- Illinois has the opportunity to be a true leader in public education by delivering on its commitment to equity. We need urgent action to ensure every child receives a quality education, regardless of where they live or their background. Our students deserve nothing less.