3rd Annual Wilson Peace Symposium to reflect on 70 years since Brown v. Board
91łÔąĎÍř’s Karson Institute for Race, Peace & Social Justice will host the third annual Wilson Peace Symposium on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. The symposium’s theme is “Brown at 70: The Path Forward.” The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in McGuire Hall on Loyola’s Evergreen campus.
Symposium Overview
The symposium will feature insightful discussions and reflections on the landmark case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to separate public school students on the basis of race. The event will explore the history, impact, and ongoing relevance of Brown v. Board of Education as experts and others who are passionate about education and equality engage in thought-provoking conversations.
“In 1956, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stated that the promise of the Brown decision was personal and social integration. He argued that social integration is not a legal process but a personal and voluntary decision to integrate without the law forcing you to do it,” said Karsonya Wise Whitehead, Ph.D., founding executive director of the Karson Institute and professor of communication and African American Studies. “It has been 70 years since Brown, and in some ways, we are as divided today as we were then. The question we need to ask ourselves is exactly how far down the road we have come from Brown. The Wilson Peace Symposium will wrestle with and seek to answer this question.”
The Wilson Peace Symposium will be structured in two parts:
Wilson Peace Symposium I
Brown at 70: The Intersection of Race & Education
9 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Wilson Peace Symposium I will feature concurrent sessions on the history of Brown and will showcase the video projects produced by the Karson Institute’s Backpack Journalists (7th graders from Roland Park Elementary/Middle School). The Karson Institute will also celebrate Ella Baker Day with Messina and explore the impact of diversity in business with the Sellinger School.
Wilson Peace Symposium II
Brown at 70: The Path Forward
McGuire Hall
6:30 – 8 p.m.
Wilson Peace Symposium II will offer an evening of artivism with music from Grammy-Award winning artist Dan + Claudia Zanes, readings from Baltimore City high school students, and a panel discussion exploring the road To and From the Brown decision.
Tickets to all events are free and open to the public, but advance registration is encouraged. Secure your spot through
The Wilson Peace Symposium is named for Loyola Trustee Curtis Wilson, a committed advocate of the work of the Karson Institute, who passed away in May 2022. For more information about the Wilson Peace Symposium, visit www.loyola.edu/karsonevents.
About the Karson Institute
Founded and based at 91łÔąĎÍř, the Karson Institute provides a scholarly space for professors, students, social justice workers, and activists to come together to research, discuss, debate, and explore answers to America’s most urgent questions on inequality, injustice, and racial inequity. The institute is committed to establishing a research and data-based environment built on intersectional liberated ideas and ideologies.