The Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Issues Statement Opposing H.B. 151 Which Would Lead to Unnecessary Resegregation of Public Schools in Kentucky
Washington, D.C.—The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law issued the following statement expressing opposition to House Bill 151 which would lead to resegregation of public schools in Jefferson County, Kentucky:
Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, stated: “We reject efforts by Kentucky lawmakers to dismantle programs that have helped contribute to racial and socio-economic diversity at public schools. H.B. 151 would lead to unnecessary resegregation within our schools and turn back the clock on years of work and effort to achieve the goals underlying Brown vs. Board of Education. We must continue to champion principles of diversity that lie at the heart of our democracy. The community, the superintendent and the school board in Jefferson County have expressed their sustained commitment to racial and socioeconomic integration. H.B. 151 threatens to undo the progress that Jefferson County has made in addressing persisting segregation in Louisville.”
Brenda Shum, co-director of the Education Project of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, stated: “We are deeply disturbed by these efforts by the state legislature to dismantle the carefully crafted student assignment plan in Jefferson County, effectively undermining one of the most successful models voluntary desegregation in the state and in the country. Segregation isolates both black and white children in Louisville. Experience has shown that neighborhood schools tend to exacerbate the racial and socioeconomic isolation within our schools, and research confirms that students within those schools tend to have fewer educational resources. The proposed legislation fails to account for the anticipated impact on student achievement and the decreased access to high-quality and diverse learning environments for all students.”
For more information, contact press@lawyerscommittee.org
About The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Lawyers’ Committee, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The Lawyers’ Committee celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013 as it continued its quest of “Moving America Toward Justice.” The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice under law, particularly in the areas of fair housing and fair lending, community development, employment, voting, education and environmental justice.
