ISU Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Landmark Supreme Court Ruling
Opening Doors, Opening Minds:Brown vs. the Board of Education
Wednesday, 17 Sep 2003 at 8:00 pm – Great Hall, Memorial Union
Roger Wilkins is the Clarence J. Robinson Professor of History and American Culture at George Mason University and a member of the U. S. 50th Anniversary Commission on Brown v. Board of Education. He served as Assistant Attorney General during the Johnson Administration, and has been both witness to and participant in some of the major historical events of our time, from the Civil Rights movement to the campaign to end apartheid. While on the editorial page staff of The Washington Post, he was cited by the Pulitzer Prize committee in 1972 for Watergate coverage along with Woodward, Bernstein, and Herblock. He is the author of Jefferson's Pillow: The Founding Fathers and the Dilemma of Black Patriotism and his autobiography, A Man's Life, and he was co-editor with Fred Harris of Quiet Riots. His undergraduate and law degrees are from the University of Michigan. This 1954 ruling ended segregation in public schools and laid the groundwork for the civil rights movement. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to engage in discussion surrounding the case at this event and others scheduled throughout the year including the President's "Conversations on Diversity."
Stay for the entire event, including the brief question-and-answer session that follows the formal presentation. Most events run 75 minutes.
Sign-ins are after the event concludes. For lectures in the Memorial Union, go to the information desk in the Main Lounge. In other academic buildings, look for signage outside the auditorium.
Lecture Etiquette
- Stay for the entire lecture and the brief audience Q&A. If a student needs to leave early, he or she should sit near the back and exit discreetly.
- Do not bring food or uncovered drinks into the lecture.
- Check with Lectures staff before taking photographs or recording any portion of the event. There are often restrictions. Cell phones, tablets and laptops may be used to take notes or for class assignments.
- Keep questions or comments brief and concise to allow as many as possible.