The case for education as a fundamental right of citizenship in the United States

[摘要] Since 1896, the issue of “separate but equal” has been an ever present notion in Americansociety. From water fountains to lunch counters, the use of public facilities and the receipt ofpublic services have often been impacted by the ethno-racial group to which one belongs. One ofthe greatest examples of this circumstance can be found in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)wherein it was determined that separate public school facilities for African-American andCaucasian students were inherently unequal. Although the Supreme Court eradicated the“separate” premise of the “separate but equal” doctrine in the Brown decision, the ever elusive goal of providing equal educational opportunities to all of America’s students remains ephemeral. It is this notion of a right to equal educational opportunities that I examine through the lens of the landmark Supreme Court case San Antonio School District v. Rodriguez (1973).

[效力级别] Opportunity

[关键词] Education;Opportunity;Equal;Rights;Fundamental;Property;Liberty;Due Process;San Antonio;Rodriguez;Supreme Court