College of Education and Human Development

Close to 200 students, faculty, staff, and community members attended the April 28 event, which honored the 60th anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board of Education case. Photo by Will Martinez/Creative Services/George Mason University.

President Emeritus Alan Merten, Maggie Gonzales, and Shelly Wong attended the event. In 1969, while living in Falls Church, Ms. Gonzales and her husband sought to enroll their son in a local private school but were denied "because we don’t accept black children." Their case, together with that of another family, was decided in a Supreme Court decision that upheld Brown v. Board of Education's applicability to private schools. Ms. Gonzales later worked at George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development.

Among those who spoke at the event: Enrique Alemán, Jr.; Gabriel "Asheru" Benn; Congressman Bobby Scott; Associate Professor Sonya Horsford; Professor Rodney Hopson; and James Braxton Peterson. Gabriel Benn discussed how youth perceive whether or not their schools "worthy" of what other schools have.

The film screened at the event, "Stolen Education," was produced by Dr. Alemán (center) and depicted the experience of his mother and her Mexican American classmates in Texas in 1956. They were kept back in school because the teachers and administrators claimed the "retardation of Latin children" would adversely impact the education of white children. The film received a standing ovation from the audience. Photo by Will Martinez/Creative Services/George Mason University.

Professor Rodney K. Hopson speaks to students Nichole Prickett, Shante Lane, and Marina Shapiro after the screening of Unspoken Histories of Unequal Education symposium. Photo by Will Martinez/Creative Services/George Mason University.

Among those in attendance -- a group of students from T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA. One student wrote on Twitter: "Thank you for having this event. There is so much work that needs to be done. Dr. Aleman's work has empowered me."