IT'S DECLARED UNAMBIGUOUSLY
THAT SEGREGATION WAS
UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
AFTER A HALF-CENTURY IN WHICH
THE SUPREME COURT OF THE
LAND HAD DECLARED ITS
CONSTITUTIONALITY.
AND IN TERMS OF GIVING PEOPLE
INSPIRATION, IN TERMS OF
GIVING THEM A BELIEF THAT
AMERICA WOULD CHANGE.
IN TERMS OF MAKING PEOPLE
BELIEVE THAT ACTIONS TO PUSH
INTEGRATION WOULD MAKE A
DIFFERENCE, THIS WAS ENORMOUS.
ENORMOUS POLITICAL AND
PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IT TOOK
MANY YEARS TO IMPLEMENT BROWN.
AND THE DECISION OF THE
SUPREME COURT WAS TO IMPLEMENT
INTEGRATION WITH ALL
DELIBERATE SPEED.
MARVELOUS AMBIGUITY
OF THAT PHRASE.
BECAUSE SPEED AND DELIBERATE
DON'T GO TOGETHER.
AND THE SUPREME COURT
WANTED TO SAY, THE SOUTH IS
GOING TO NEED SOME TIME.
AND WE'VE GOT TO
GIVE THEM SOME TIME.
AND THAT BECAME A LICENSE FOR
WHITE RESISTANCE TO MOBILIZE.
SO I WOULD SAY THE PRACTICAL
SIGNIFICANCE, IN TERMS OF HOW
MUCH WAS INTEGRATED AND HOW
QUICKLY, IS LESS IMPORTANT
THAN THE OVERALL POLITICAL
AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
SYMBOLISM OF THE ACT.
THAT AMERICA'S FINALLY
LIVING UP TO ITS IDEALS.
AND THE TIME IS NOW.
