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List:       publib
Subject:    [PUBLIB] Have libraries lived up to the promise of Brown v. Board
From:       plib2 () webjunction ! org (PUBLIB)
Date:       2004-05-18 20:50:51
Message-ID: Pine.GSO.4.10.10405181750490.20760-100000 () webjunction ! org
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Sender: "Don Wood" <dwood@ala.org>
Subject: Have libraries lived up to the promise of Brown v. Board of

NEWS
For Immediate Release						Contact:
 Larra Clark
May 17, 2004								
  	    Press Officer
									
  	    312-280-5043

Have libraries lived up to the promise of Brown v. Board of Education?

Distinguished panel will evaluate progress toward equity of access at
library conference June 27 in Orlando

(CHICAGO) - A half-century after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a
landmark school desegregation case, Brown v. Board of Education
continues to influence the way Americans look at access to knowledge,
both in the classroom and in the nation's libraries. 
"This decision affected not only education but every aspect of
American life, including libraries," says Carla Hayden, president of the
American Library Association (ALA).  "Although we have made great
strides in helping all people gain access to quality library services
and resources, I believe we still have a way to go before we can say
there is true equity of access."

Hayden will celebrate and reflect on the 50th anniversary of Brown v.
Board of Education with a panel of speakers and writers that will
include Cheryl Brown Henderson, whose father gave his name to the
Supreme Court case; veteran journalist and commentator Ray Suarez;
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch, and groundbreaking library
leader E.J. Josey.  The five will share the stage Sunday, June 27, at
the ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., in a discussion of
"Equity: Are We There Yet?"  The President's Program takes
place from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Orange County Convention Center Auditorium
(Room 320).

In an effort to illustrate what true equity might look like, the
panelists will address questions such as: What are the lessons and
opportunities of the Brown v. Board of Education decision? How close are
we to realizing the goal of equity of access to information for all? 
How can we information professionals ensure that all library services
and materials are available to all people, regardless of age, ethnicity,
physical ability, income, language, location or type of library?  What
gains have we made in the last half-century, and where do we go from
here?

Henderson is one of three daughters of the late Reverend Oliver Brown,
whose desire to enroll his children in an all-white elementary school in
Topeka, Kans., led to the historic decision overturning the concept of
"separate but equal."  She is the co-founder of the Brown
Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research, which, since
its founding in 1988, has provided scholarships to 40 minority students
and sponsored programs on diversity and educational issues. Henderson
also owns Brown & Brown, an educational consulting firm.

Suarez, a senior correspondent for public television's "News Hour
with Jim Lehrer," is a 25-year veteran of the news business and has
covered stories ranging from South Africa's first all-race elections
to Northern Ireland's peace efforts to the release of American
hostages in Iran.  He joined National Public Radio's award-winning
"Talk of the Nation" in 1993 and is the author of "The Old
Neighborhood: What We Lost in the Great Suburban Migration,
1966-1999." He is also a contributing editor for Si Magazine, a new
national publication for Latinos.

Branch won the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1989 for his 880-page
"Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-63," which
established him as an authority on the civil rights movement.  The
second installment of his King trilogy, "Pillar of Fire," appeared in
1999; Branch currently is working on the final volume, "At Canaan's
Edge."

Josey was elected to honorary membership in the ALA in 2002 "in
recognition of his tireless commitment to the association, to equal
access to information resources, and to the education and employment of
librarians." Honorary membership is the ALA's highest honor.  Josey,
past president of the ALA and founder of the Black Caucus of the ALA
(BCALA), is a noted administrator, author, educator, leader and scholar
who has been a lifelong advocate for civil rights and equal opportunity
for librarians of color.
For more information on this and other ALA Annual Conference programs,
please go online to www.ala.org/annual.  For advance press registration
or to schedule interviews, please contact Macey Morales at 312-280-4393
or Larra Clark at 312-280-5043. The ALA Annual Conference will take
place at the Orange County Convention Center June 24-30; more than
20,000 librarians, exhibitors and guests are expected to attend.

-30-


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