U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for May 17

WASHINGTON, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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THURSDAY, MAY 17: MAJOR SUPREME COURT DECISION

Profile America — Thursday, May 17th.  On this date in 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of its most historic decisions, changing the social landscape of the nation forever. The justices ruled unanimously in Brown v. Board of Education that segregation of public schools based solely on race was unconstitutional.  The ruling effectively did away with the "separate but equal" concept.  The case was argued by Thurgood Marshall, who later became the first African-American Supreme Court justice.  In the early 1950s, 15 percent of adult blacks were high school graduates.  That figure is now 81 percent.  Then, only 2 percent had college diplomas; now the rate has risen to 18 percent.  Profile America is beginning its 16th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2012, p. 269
Historical Statistics of the United States:  Colonial Times to 1970, p. 380
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features, CB12-FF.01

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau