Nothing Less Than Equality

In history books, the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education is often hailed as the singular moment that led to equality in education, but in Nothing Less Than Equality (University of Chicago Press) Hamilton reveals many of the other efforts by Black parents, teachers, and activists to obtain educational opportunities for their children. Focusing on Washington, D.C., the book details approaches prior to the case that leaned into the idea of “separate but equal” by focusing largely on providing resources to Black schools. While this seemed like the right course at first, it eventually became clear that this strategy could not truly democratize education, which led to many in the movement embracing the idea of integration. Through her analysis, Hamilton ultimately highlights that Brown v. Board of Education was the result of many collective fights for educational rights.