2/8/2004
Post Journal
By RANDY SWEENEY
The Chautauqua Region Community Foundation is currently honored to administer several funds for the Robert H. Jackson Center. The Foundation has been supportive of the efforts of the Jackson Center since its inception approximately three years ago. The legacy of Robert H. Jackson, as a country lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, and America's advocate, is an important part of the history of the Jamestown area and our nation.
This spring, the
Jackson Center will be celebrating an event that shaped our nation's history.
On April 29, the Jackson Center will mark the anniversary of the Brown vs.
Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, court case with a visit by Linda and
Cheryl Brown. It was this historic case which ended segregation in public
schools.
The visit by the
Brown sisters will mark the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark
decision.
Justice Jackson
was one of the nine justices who unanimously declared legal segregation of
public schools unconstitutional after hearing the case.
As the Jackson Center
prepares for this event, there will be several educational activities leading
up to the April celebration, on the issues surrounding this historic case.
The Community Foundation is anxious to be the sponsor, along with the accounting
firm of Johnson, Mackowiak, Moore and Myott, of the first of these events.
On Tuesday, at 4
p.m., a discussion with Professor Kevin J. McMahon will be held at the Robert
H. Jackson Center. Professor McMahon is an associate professor in the department
of political science at the State College at Fredonia.
Professor McMahon
recently released a new book entitled Reconsidering Roosevelt on Race: How
the Presidency Paved the Road to Brown.
Many have questioned FDR's record on race, suggesting that he had the opportunity,
but not the will to advance the civil rights of African Americans. Kevin J.
McMahon challenges this view, arguing instead that Roosevelt's administration
played a crucial role in the Supreme Court's increasing commitment to racial
equality, which culminated in its landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
McMahon shows how
FDR's attempt to strengthen the presidency and undermine the power of conservative
Southern Democrats dovetailed with his efforts to seek racial equality through
the federal courts. By appointing a majority of rights-centered liberals deferential
to presidential power, Roosevelt ensured that the Supreme Court would be receptive
to civil rights claims, especially when those claims had the support of the
executive branch.
The mission of the
Community Foundation is to enrich the quality of life in the Chautauqua Region.
In our efforts to fulfill that mission, we are very aware of the issues that
affect the civil rights of our citizens in our community. The Foundation feels
it is important to learn more about these issues in order to make this a better
place for all.
The Community Foundation
and the accounting firm of Johnson, Mackowiak, Moore, and Myott invite you
to listen to this discussion by Professor McMahon on President Roosevelt's
influence on this historic case. He will be sharing important aspects of the
events leading up to this event, as he connects President Roosevelt' role
to this case.