The goal of Operation Protect & Defend's Story of America Essay Contest is to encourage critical thinking, active discussion and thoughtful writing about what it means to be a "good citizen" in America today. Americans enjoy a broad range of Constitutional rights that persons living in many other countries do not. These rights include freedom of speech and religion, a right to a fair trial, a right to due process and equal protection, to name a few. Along with these rights, we believe, come certain responsibilities, including the responsibility of each new generation of Americans to maintain and protect those rights in light of the circumstances and challenges facing their lives. their communities and their nation.

So where does that leave Brown Court's legacy on the promise of integration today? Is racial diversity, the goal set forth in Brown, still a benefit to public schools? And if not racial diversity, is there another tyne of diversity that would be a bigger benefit to you as a student? Or has the goal of color blindness in education been achieved? Explain your answer using what you learned in the curriculum and the cases that have been discussed. You may support your answer with personal experiences if appropriate.