Looking Back at Brown v. Board

I made my way down to the Smithsonian Museum of American History this morning. One of the exhibits I saw was the retrospective of the history surrounding the Supreme Court's monumental Brown v. Board decision. What struck me, more than anything else, was how so many people fiercely opposed desegregation. That, in fact, support of segregation was a mainstream opinion in many areas.

And this was just 50 years ago.

I think it’s important to remember that the views we consider commonplace today might seem antiquated, even condemnable years from now. We should never be complacent in our convictions but should keep addressing them, keep debating them. And, most of all, keep being open to the idea we could be wrong.

That’s what I took away from the Smithsonian’s exhibit. An important lesson, I think.