Call For Papers
Brown v. Board of Education: Its Impact on Public Education 1954-2004

The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund (TMSF) is inviting papers for a forthcoming publication with the working title Brown v. Board of Education: Its Impact on Public Education 1954-2004. This publication will assess the extent to which equal educational opportunities for African-Americans have been realized, analyze how educational opportunity relates to achievement and offer direction for the 21st century. We are also pleased to announce that Dr. Christopher Edley, Jr., Professor of Education at Harvard University and co-founder of the Harvard Civil Rights Project will serve as the lead contributor to this volume.

Equal, as Thurgood Marshall famously defined it, “… means getting the same thing, at the same time and in the same place.” How close are we to equal access, equal resources and integrated classrooms? Authors are invited to answer these questions by exploring any aspect of the impact of the Brown decision on public education. Each paper should also include insight into how improvements can be made.

Our intention is to call on the work of researchers and educators to provide to a picture of public education across the nation in 2004, although authors may choose to focus on a specific region.

Within this broad framework, we expect to include sections on:

• Public policy (e.g., vouchers, affirmative action);
• Resources (teacher quality, curriculum, special staff [counselors, advisors, special needs], facilities, materials, technology, funding per student);
• Integration (by region, by population density, by grade level);
• Private schools – their development and impact on public schools;
• The role of public and private HBCUs in the education of African-Americans.

Guidelines for Submissions

Faculty at TMSF colleges, other HBCUs, selected major civil rights organizations and to scholars on civil rights issues at national universities are invited to submit 750 word synopses of proposed chapters and a one-page vita.

The criteria for selecting authors will include the quality of the synopsis, its relevance, innovation and fit within the broader scope of other contributions. We expect to select both established and emerging scholars for inclusion in this volume.

Those invited to contribute chapters will be notified by June 15, 2004; completed chapters will be due by August 1, 2004. Full chapters should be between 5500 and 7000 words.

Synopses and one-page vitas may be submitted by email, USPS or special courier and must be received by May 1, 2004. Submissions and inquiries should be directed to: