"BEYOND BROWN: PURSUING THE PROMISE" AIRS ON PBS MARKING 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION Film examines ongoing inequalities of nation's schools On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the doctrine of "separate but equal," ending legal apartheid in education in America. Peabody and Emmy-winning director Stanley Nelson explores today's troubled educational landscape and the historical legacy of Brown v. Board of Education in BEYOND BROWN: PURSUING THE PROMISE. Narrated by veteran television and film actor Joe Morton, the hour-long documentary premieres on PBS stations May 12, 2004 (check local listings) - five days before the 50th anniversary of the decision. BEYOND BROWN poignantly blends human stories of contemporary educational debates with perspectives of educators and opinion leaders to examine the unfulfilled promises of Brown. Five vignettes offer one of the most comprehensive explorations on film of the Brown ruling. Brown v. Board of Education was a watershed moment in American history, striking down the Jim Crow laws that mandated separate but equal education. Among the most significant Supreme Court decisions of the 20th century, Brown signaled the end of legal apartheid in education and transformed the United States politically, economically and socially. Yet, 50 years later, the true equality that was envisioned remains as elusive as the "all deliberate speed" that the Court decreed for implementation. BEYOND BROWN begins with a look at the genesis of the historic lawsuit, composed of five separate cases that worked their way up to the High Court in the early 1950s. Through archival film, photos and current interviews with participants, the film recalls the events that launched one of the cases - in Prince Edward County, Virginia that, in defiance of the Supreme Court order, at one point, shut down the entire Prince Edward public school system. From those early struggles to the present, the film explores the ongoing challenges and inequities in the nation's public schools through current examples of ability tracking in Los Angeles, high stakes testing in Orlando, Florida, a voluntary busing program in the Boston Area and school funding in New York City. For nearly three decades, Boston's METCO program has served as a national model for integration through voluntary busing, offering better opportunities to students from the inner-city. Recently, Boston-area officials and suburban community leaders considered abandoning the system because of financial constraints. BEYOND BROWN captures the community's struggle with this decision, revealing the gulf in perspectives among white suburban residents whether to continue the 30-year-old program. The film examines how an end to busing - forced or voluntary - could have resulted in many minority students being locked out of the best schools. Across the nation, disparities in educational funding are more likely to adversely impact on minority students. Research shows that school districts in which white students predominate generally receive more state and federal funding, while minority populated school districts operate on much less. Typically, state monies are allocated based on complicated formulas including the tax base of local jurisdictions. BEYOND BROWN looks at the effects of such financial inequities on students and families in New York City, which spends $11,000 to educate each student compared to $20,000 spent per pupil in some neighboring suburban school districts. At Los Angeles' North Hollywood High School, a program places students in groups that offers only two paths - one for the college bound and one for vocational studies. BEYOND BROWN examines how this program has resulted in "schools within a school" offering very different resources and opportunities. Asians and white students typically follow the "talented and gifted" college track, while Latinos and African-Americans disproportionately populate a vocational curriculum that emphasizes "hands-on" skills such as home economics and wood shop. BEYOND BROWN also depicts one of today's most controversial trends - high stakes testing. A dominant feature of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, achievement testing determines whether students pass or are retained at grade. In interviews with students from Orlando, Florida, the film shows how high stakes exams have affected students both educationally and emotionally often with devastating consequences. This school year, a third-grade student with "B" grade average is facing the possibility of repeating the same grade for the third time, while a high school senior and honors student has had her future at a four-year college derailed. Throughout the film, civil rights leaders and other key individuals, including one of the original Brown attorneys, the Honorable Oliver Hill, shares his experiences and lends perspective to current events, "When we were approached late last year about producing a documentary on this landmark legal decision to tie-in with the "Brown" anniversary, it was an easy decision to take on the project," remarked Stanley Nelson, executive producer. "Our hope is that it can be utilized by communities, schools and educators to serve as a springboard for discussion and learning."
|
