Or making lemonade out of lemons.
Michelle Obama’s Topeka, KS speech has been adjusted.
Still honors the 60th Anniversary of the decision in Brown vs. The Board of Education, still held in Topeka, KS, and still primarily for the benefit of high school seniors:
…Under the new plan, the first lady will speak at a “senior recognition day” ceremony on May 16 that presumably wouldn’t be as crowded.
An audience that chooses to attend. If high school seniors haven’t changed too much over the past few decades, peer pressure and not wanting to miss out on a possible once in a lifetime experience, should fill those auditorium seats. With wildly cheering young people.
WAPO does a decent job reviewing the impact and changes since “Brown vs. Bd of Ed” in How, after 60 years, Brown v. Board of Education succeeded — and didn’t.
May 17 is the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 decision that prohibited Southern states from segregating schools by race. The Brown decision annihilated the “separate but equal” rule, previously sanctioned by the Supreme Court in 1896, …But Brown was unsuccessful in its purported mission–to undo the school segregation that persists as a central feature of American public education today. …
Initial school integration gains following Brown stalled and black children are more racially and socioeconomically isolated today than at any time since data have been available (1970).
…
Good move. A win for everyone except people looking for an excuse to bash her. Which they’ll do anyway.
Ah, but depriving them of their original complaint, leaves them sounding like nothing but racist fuckwads. Doubt many of the young ones in Topeka are eager to be called Cliven Bundys. And the Hannitys are scurrying so fast for cover after the exposure of Bundy and their complicity that they’ll leave Michelle Obama’s speech alone — and one or two may even try to assert their non-racist credentials by highlighting how wonderful the event was. Serendipity. And team Michelle Obama played this one perfectly after the initial stumble.
Yes, a good move. As I said before I would have been thrilled to hear the First Lady, Jackie Kennedy, in person on my graduation. I did not make clear at that time that I was a Republican in High School as was the solid majority in my (yes, lily white) suburb. Still, I would have been thrilled to have the FIRST LADY appear and speak to us.
What has changed since Brown v. Board of Education is a Supreme Court that uses the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause to not repair the effects of discrimination.
Shanikka, Daily Kos: In case it wasn’t clear, the Schuette decision and coming full circle on antidiscrimination law
Maybe FLOTUS can talk about that and make some waves. Or not.