NEA internal events

Our entire organization is committed to realizing the promise of Brown v. Board of Education. Here's a list of mostly internal events and activities we've hosted for staff, members, and invited guests.

2004

July

NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards Banquet.
More than 12 awards will be made to outstanding educators.

June

NEA Joint Conference on Concerns of Ethnic Minorities and Women
Keynote speakers, mini plenary session, and workshops allow members to hear and talk about the Brown decision and more educational challenges before them.

May

Investing in Education Is Good for The Economy
This May 5-8 conference on funding quality schools includes a focus on Brown v. Board of Education and its 50th Anniversary.

Separate is Not Equal: Brown v. Board of Education
This NEA, Morgan Stanley, Rockefeller Foundation, and more co-sponsored exhibit will open May 15 in the Behring Center at the National Museum of American History, a part of the Smithsonian.

National Essay Contest
Winners of this NEA co-sponsored essay contest will be recognized in Topeka, Kansas. Students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities win prizes for writing about the impact of Brown v. Board of Education. Partners include: State Farm Insurance Companies, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc., NAACP, Brown v. Board of Education Commission, 100 Black Men of America, and National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.

Law Day
NEA and other organizations will recognize winners of the American Bar Association Law day art and essay contests.

March

Brown 50 Years and Beyond: Promise and Progress from The Courtroom to The Classroom: The Role of Teacher Quality in Closing the Achievement Gap
This special summit for educators will discuss and plan actions on Expanding the Pool of Excellent Teachers, Preparing and Sustaining Excellent Teachers, pedagogies in Teaching Our Children Well. It is co sponsored by National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, American Federation of Teachers, National Alliance of Black School Educators, and National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.

January

Mid Atlantic Regional Leadership Conference
NEA and 9 state affiliates and the overseas affiliate paid tribute to the Thurgood Marshall in his hometown of Baltimore. Participants reflected on the 1954 decision and dealt with educational opportunities coming from Brown that are jeopardized today - such as the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act.

2003

May

Horizons of Opportunities Symposium
More than 140 people from 35 national organizations gathered at NEA headquarters to launch special recognition and celebration of the 50th anniversary and the legacy of the Brown decision.

Higher Education Conference
Former Department of Education Assistant Secretary Norma Cantu spoke to NEA staff and members about changes for staff and students on our campuses as we approach the 25th anniversary of Bakke and the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education.

2000

May

Brown v. Board of Education Symposium
Professor Gary Orfield, Assistant Secretary Norma Cantu, and NAACP Legal Defense Fund Attorney Janell Byrd-Chichester talked NEA staff about national trends on resegregation in public schools, major school desegregation litigation underway, and recent changes made in long-standing desegregation plans in nearby Montgomery and Prince Georges counties, Maryland.