November 7, 2024: The Baldy Center sponsored a community forum to mark the 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education (BOE). The landmark Supreme Court decision is heralded as the event that ended "separate but equal," effectively ending segregation in schools and society. While mostly thought of as a positive, the case has its critiques including the determent to Black education and its connection to Cold War politics. In Buffalo, NY, once called a model for US integration, school systems are still segregated by race and class as evident within our community of Western New York. Recognizing the landmark decision, the forum brought together former students, teachers, administrators, and community members to discuss what it was like to experience, firsthand, the impact of Brown v. BOE in our own community. Organized by LaGarret King, the event opened with Jillian Hanesworth, Buffalo poet-laureate, performing a spoken-word poem commissioned for the occasion. The panel discussion, moderated by Anthony White, consisted of Kathleen “Kathy” Franklin Adams, Nanette Massey, Donette Ruffin and Mario Workman. Marcus Watson provided a forum summary with closing remarks.