What Brown v. Board of Education should have said
Subtitle: the nation's top legal experts rewrite America's landmark civil rights decision
By: edited with an introduction by Jack M. Balkin ; Bruce Ackerman ... [et al.].
Contributors: Balkin, J. M.; Ackerman, Bruce A.
Publisher: New York University Press
Published: 2001
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 257
Subjects: Brown, Oliver, 1918- -- Trials, litigation, etc. -- History; Topeka (Kan.). Board of Education -- Trials, litigation, etc. -- History; Segregation in education -- Law and legislation -- United States -- History; Discrimination in education -- Law and legislation -- United States -- History
Other titles: What Brown versus Board of Education should have said
Description: "Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court's landmark 1954 decision ordering the desegregation of America's public schools, is perhaps the most famous case in American constitutional law. Criticized and even openly defied when first handed down, in half a century Brown has become a venerated symbol of quality and civil rights.".

"Its meaning, however, remains as contested as the case is celebrated. In the decades since the original decision, constitutional interpreters of all stripes have found within it different meanings. Both supporters and opponents of affirmative action have claimed the mantle of Brown, criticizing the other side for betraying its spirit. Meanwhile, the opinion itself has often been criticized as bland and uninspiring, carefully written to avoid controversy and maintain unanimity among the Justices.".

"In this volume, nine of America's top constitutional and civil rights experts have been challenged to rewrite the Brown decision as they would like it to have been written, incorporating what they now know about the subsequent history of the United States but making use of only those sources available at the time of the original decision.

In addition, Jack Balkin gives a detailed introduction to the case, chronicling the history of the litigation in Brown and explaining the current debates over its legacy."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 237-242) and index.