WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, on Thursday applauded Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-3) and the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee for advancing his Strength and Diversity Act of 2019, bringing it one step closer to becoming law. U.S Representative Marcia Fudge (OH-11) introduced the companion bill in the House. The Strength and Diversity Act of 2019 creates a federal grant program to support voluntary, community-driven strategies to increase diversity in schools. Committee passage of Murphy’s bill comes one day before the 65th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. 

“I’m really proud that the House has taken the first step in passing our bill to increase diversity in schools,” said Murphy. “As we near the 65th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, we need to understand that there’s still a lot more that we need to do to make sure every child has the opportunity for a good education. Research shows that diverse and inclusive classrooms benefit all students. I look forward to pushing for a vote in the Senate so we can work to make this law.”

Specifically, the Strength in Diversity Act: 

• Authorizes federal funding to provide planning and implementation grants to support voluntary local efforts to increase racial diversity and socioeconomic diversity. Grants could fund a range of proposals, including (but not limited to): 

  • Studying segregation, evaluating current policies, and developing evidence-based plans to address racial and socioeconomic isolation;
  • Establishing public school choice zones and revising school boundaries;
  • Creating or expanding innovative school programs that can attract students from outside the local area; and
  • Recruiting, hiring, and training new teachers to support specialized schools.

• Supports school districts, independently or in collaboration with neighboring districts, as well as regional educational authorities and educational service agencies.

The Strength in Diversity Act has been endorsed by the following organizations: National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of Elementary School Principals, Center on Law, Inequality, and Metropolitan Equity at Rutgers Law School, Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School, IntegrateNYC4me, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, National Women’s Law Center, New York Appleseed, The Office of Transformation and Innovation at the Dallas Independent School District, National Education Association, National Coalition on School Diversity, Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Magnet Schools of America, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Poverty & Race Research Action Council, Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Corporation, and Unidos.

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