Epps described the will and commitment of the community to follow through on the desegregation of the schools as questionable. In order for the schools to be successfully desegregated, the people of Rockford must lend their support, he said. To rally that support, the district must demonstrate that its remedies are being implemented successfully, it must educate the community about the constitutional requirements and it must show the path out of federal intervention. Although the road to desegregation has been difficult, Epps continues to believe that equity is vital to the success of the community of Rockford and to the nation as a whole. If the nation does not continue on the course of desegregation, it will move into the next century with schools that are segregated and extremely unequal.
Diversity has the power to strengthen the nation.
Epps grew up in Kansas City, Kan., and where he graduated from Washington High School. Over the course of several years in Topeka, Kan., he was a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent, before moving to Rockford.