BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, May 3, 2005 -- New York and the nation mourn the loss of a profound voice for freedom, reason and decency this week.

Dr. Kenneth B. Clark was central to one of the most significant U.S. Supreme Court decisions of the 20th century. When the court decided Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, one of the works cited was Clark's renowned "Doll Study," which demonstrated the brutal and dehumanizing effects of racial segregation on the self-concept of black children. That research, conducted by Clark and his wife, Mamie Phipps Clark, not only influenced the Supreme Court justices to strike down the laws that mandated segregated schools, but almost certainly played a role in the demise of "separate but equal" in other areas of American life.

Dr. Clark was an educator, psychologist, role model and inspiration. He was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia, the first to hold a permanent professorship at the City College of New York, where he taught from 1942 to 1975, and the first African American to be a member of the New York State Board of Regents (1966-86). He battled segregation in New York City's public schools and was instrumental in their decentralization, which he later called a failure saying "It didn't make a damn bit of difference in education."

As the CFE lawsuit continues to point out, segregation can come in many forms. By refusing to properly fund New York City's schools which have the largest ethnic population and the most economically deprived students in the State, New York State is simply practicing another form of "separate but equal." He often said, "All children belong to all of us. To protect and respect them is to preserve humanity..." -- Dr. Kenneth B. Clark

While his profound voice will be missed, we can celebrate his career notable for bringing conscience, a sharp intellect, honesty and integrity to the civil rights struggle.

That struggle continues.

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