HAMPTON, Va. — This week, Virginia leaders and educators will meet in Hampton to discuss the legacy of the historic ruling of Brown v. Board of Education.
On May 17, 1954, a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court changed the landscape of education in the nation. With a unanimous decision, justices ruled separating children in public schools based on race is unconstitutional.
"For me, it's very important to have dialogues about history, so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past," said Dr. Richard Mason, assistant provost of student support at Hampton University.
Mason is one of several elected officials, educators, and thought leaders expected to discuss the impact of the ruling that dismantled the "separate but equal" ideology in education.
Other panelists include Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, former governor Bob McDonnell, Congressman Bobby Scott, State Senator Mamie Locke, Hampton University president Darrell Williams, and representatives from the UVA Board of Visitors and the Virginia Department of Education.
According to the university, the education forum will honor the Virginians who were pivotal in the Brown case and those who continue to lead efforts for educational equality.
"The decisions that are being made throughout the state and across the country regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion because some of those conversations aren't being had, we are destined to repeat some of those mistakes," said Mason.
The discussion comes as DEI in education has become a hot topic.
Virginia Commonwealth University recently announced it will no longer require a racial literacy course, after an audit by the governor's office.
Mason, who is also chair of the Hampton City school board, said it is "disheartening" to see leaders in Shenandoah County vote to restore names of schools honoring Confederate leaders.
"We want to make sure we are creating inclusive spaces for our students, for our teachers, and for our community as well," said Mason.
He said the Brown ruling speaks to the importance of providing quality education to all children.
"The segregation of schools really gets into the funding and providing resources," he said.
When leaders sit down this week, Mason hopes to have an honest and open conversation because "with dialogue comes change."
"We have to create those lines of communication that allow us to talk about those things that make us different," he said. "But also how we can grow from those differences versus allowing the things and mechanisms that I see right now that further separate us and really put us at odds with one another."
The panel discussion will take place at 4:15 p.m. Thursday, May 16 at the Hampton University Student Center. It is free and open to the public.