WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, along with U.S. Senators Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) on Tuesday, the 68th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decision, reintroduced the Strength in Diversity Act. This legislation would promote diversity in schools through a federal grant program to support voluntary, community-driven strategies. U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-Va.-03) and Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.-17) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“It’s been almost 70 years since the Brown v. Board of Education decision, and yet American public schools are more segregated today than they have been in generations. All students benefit from a diverse classroom, but it’s students of color and those in low-income communities that are hurting the most by attending segregated schools. Our bill would give local school districts, in partnership with state education agencies the resources they need to improve diversity and help ensure every kid has access to a quality, inclusive education,” said Murphy.

“This bill would bring important and critical school funding across the nation to create diverse and inclusive classrooms. Today, more than 60 years after the watershed Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, far too many schools in America remain segregated by race or socioeconomic status, depriving low income students and students of color opportunities to learn simply because of where they live. The Strength in Diversity Act will give communities the resources to invest in programming and new teachers, building a more equitable future for all students,” said Blumenthal.

“68 years after the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, too many schools and communities in the United States are still segregated,” said Warren. “The Strength in Diversity Act recognizes that building more diverse schools starts in local communities across the country, and would give these communities the resources to pursue transformative projects for their own schools.”

“Diversity is one of our country’s greatest assets. As we mark the anniversary of Brown V. Board of Education, this legislation will help us nurture young talent, and allow more students to learn from both people who look like them, and from different perspectives. It will help us give children a well-rounded education and strengthen how students learn and grow, both in and out of the classroom,” said Brown.

Specifically, the Strength in Diversity Act would establish a grant program to support voluntary local efforts to increase diversity in schools. Grants could fund a range of proposals, including:

·         Studying segregation, evaluating current policies, and developing evidence-based plans to address socioeconomic and racial isolation;

·         Revising school boundaries, expanding equitable access to transportation for students, or improving open enrollment processes;

·         Creating or expanding school programs that can attract students from outside the local area;

·         Recruiting, hiring, and training new teachers and improving teacher diversity;

·         Supporting the development and maintenance of best practices.

The Strength in Diversity Act has been endorsed by the following organizations: National Coalition on School Diversity, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, Poverty & Race Research Action Council, Magnet Schools of America, American Association of School Administrators, National Association of Secondary School Principals, The Education Trust, Capitol Region Education Council (CT)

Full text of the bill is available here.

A section-by-section of the bill is available here.

A one-pager on the bill is available here.

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