About:

About this class:

This is a 5-week virtual class using the Zoom platform.

Mondays Oct. 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13, 20 - 6-8:00 pm CT

The Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954), remains the nation's most famous civil rights case. The ruling held unconstitutional the widespread practice of segregation in public schools on grounds that it violated the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, paving the way for Black and white students to attend the same classes in the same schools, a result that had been vehemently resisted, not only in southern states but in various northern cities as well. The forthcoming 70th anniversary of this historic case and its anticipated national celebration, invite consideration of its background, including the drafting of the 14th Amendment, the struggle for racial equality throughout American history, the Court's opinion, its impact on America and the heroes who secured and enforced the legal victory. We will be pleased to review and discuss the heroic participation of the distinguished North Dakota jurist, Federal District Judge Ronald Davies, who played a singularly important role in insuring its enforcement.

Instructor bio:

Dr. David Adler is President of The Alturas Institute, a non-profit organization created to promote the Constitution, gender equality, and civic education.  A recipient of teaching, writing, and civic awards, Adler has lectured nationally and internationally, and published widely, on the Constitution, presidential power, and the Bill of Rights. He is the author of six books, including, most recently, The War Power in an Age of Terrorism, as well as more than 100 scholarly articles in the leading journals of his field.  He is currently writing a book, supported by a research fellowship from the Idaho Humanities Council, on the landmark Supreme Court decision in Reed v. Reed, which had its origins in Idaho and transformed the law for American women.

Humanities North Dakota classes and events are funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

HND VALUE STATEMENT

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this {article, book, exhibition, film, program, database, report, Web resource}, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Humanities North Dakota. However, in an increasingly polarized world, we at Humanities North Dakota believe that being open-minded is necessary to thinking critically and rationally. Therefore our programs and classes reflect our own open-mindedness in the inquiry, seeking, and acquiring of scholars to speak at our events and teach classes for our Public University. To that end, we encourage our participants to join us in stepping outside our comfort zones and considering other perspectives and ideas by being open-minded while attending HND events featuring scholars who hold a variety of opinions, some being opposite of our own held beliefs.