Yesterday, Supreme Court judges ruled that race can't be used as a factor to determine where a student can go to school, thereby limiting the ability of schools to promote integration. The move has been interpreted by many as a rolling back of the landmark 1954 Brown vs Board of Education ruling that declared segregation in the education system to be unconstitutional. As the New York Times editorial put it:
The Supreme Court ruled 53 years ago in Brown v. Board of Education that segregated education is inherently unequal, and it ordered the nation's schools to integrate. Yesterday, the court switched sides and told two cities that they cannot take modest steps to bring public school students of different races together. It was a sad day for the court and for the ideal of racial equality.
Slate Magazine examines the internet's reaction to the ruling; The Village Voice highlights Justice Stephen Breyer's dissenting opinion; learn more about Brown vs Board of Education here.
