In this episode of Ellis Conversations, co-host Jamil Ellis sits down again with his father, retired federal magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis, to mark Loving Day — the anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, the 1967 Supreme Court case that struck down bans on interracial marriage.

What starts as a reflection on Loving Day quickly becomes a powerful and wide-ranging discussion about:

• How distorted historical narratives fuel today's rollback of civil rights
• Why anti-DEI forces rely on historical erasure
• The forgotten legal barriers against women
• The dangerous nostalgia embedded in the "Make America Great Again" slogan
• A look at Project 2025, the Federalist Society, and how today's Supreme Court is targeting many of the Warren Court's civil rights decisions

From All in the Family to Sidney Poitier, from welfare state debates to voting rights, Judge Ellis breaks down the legal and cultural legacy at stake.

• Loving v. Virginia (1967)
  https://www.oyez.org/cases/1966/395

• Warren Court Key Decisions
  Brown v. Board (1954): https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/347us483
  Gideon v. Wainwright (1963): https://www.oyez.org/cases/1962/155
  Miranda v. Arizona (1966): https://www.oyez.org/cases/1965/759
  Griswold v. Connecticut (1965): https://www.oyez.org/cases/1964/496
  Engel v. Vitale (1962): https://www.oyez.org/cases/1961/468
  Tinker v. Des Moines (1969): https://www.oyez.org/cases/1968/21

• Project 2025: https://www.project2025.org

• Federalist Society: https://fedsoc.org

• All In The Family theme reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_in_the_Family

The hosts discuss how desegregation under Brown was hampered in schools by a policy of "all deliberate speed" where the speed was often zero. In contrast, and despite the fact that in large portions of the nation education is separate and unequal, the Trump administration has begun an "all speed ahead" policy of eliminating decrees which contained desegregation requirements'.

https://www.axios.com/2025/05/02/doj-decades-old-school-desegregation-louisiana

In this episode of Ellis Conversations, co-host Jamil Ellis and his father, retired federal magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis, reflect on the 71st anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education—not just the 1954 decision, but its overlooked 1955 follow-up. They explore the legal and societal impacts of desegregation mandates, the resistance that followed, and how today's rollback of civil rights enforcement—particularly around school desegregation—echoes familiar patterns.

With real-life stories, including Ruby Bridges and Prince Edward County's school closures, the conversation traces decades of policy evolution—from Milliken v. Bradley to Roberts Court rulings that undermine systemic remedies for segregation. The episode also offers generational perspectives on optimism, protest, and the need for youth leadership in safeguarding educational equity.

👉 If you're concerned about the dismantling of civil rights protections in education and policing—or wondering how to equip young people to carry the legacy forward—this one's for you.

• Brown v. Board of Education (1954 & 1955 decisions)
  https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/347us483
  https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/349us294

• Milliken v. Bradley (1974)
  https://www.oyez.org/cases/1973/73-434

• Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 (2007)
  https://www.oyez.org/cases/2006/05-908

• Ruby Bridges Foundation
  https://rubybridges.foundation

• Shelby County v. Holder (2013 Voting Rights Act decision)
  https://www.oyez.org/cases/2012/12-96

• American Psychological Association – Implicit Bias
  https://www.apa.org/ed/university/implicit-bias

• The Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025" (mentioned indirectly)
  https://www.project2025.org

In this episode, the hosts discuss Project 2025 and its potential impact in a Donald Trump administration.

In this episode, the hosts begin a series of discussions on the historical significance of voting, efforts to prevent some groups from voting, and why you should exercise your right to vote even if you don't like the choices. Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.

Southern Strategy - In American politics, the Southern strategy was a Republican Party electoral strategy to increase political support among white voters in the South by appealing to racism against African Americans.

In this episode, the hosts discuss the controversy concerning the Resignation of Harvard president Claudine Gay.Is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion undermining merit or does it address a history of Discrimination, Exclusion, and Inequality.

Claudine Gay's Resignation

The Claudine Gay Debacle Was Never about Merit

Claudine Gay and the Limits of Social Engineering at Harvard

Biden to Appeal to Black Voters in Campaign Trip to Charleston, SC

In this episode, the hosts discuss the leading role that Virginia has played in the racial divide in America's history. Home to the Founding Fathers and Capital of the Confederacy, the state has been the crucible of the ideals which built this country and the ideas which would tear it apart.

Washington, DC History

https://washington.org/DC-information/washington-dc-history

Virginia 1619

https://time.com/5653369/august-1619-jamestown-history/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/02/06/virginia-is-birthplace-american-slavery-segregation-it-still-cant-escape-that-legacy/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Virginia_political_crisis.

https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/873

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/when-white-supremacy-came-to-virginia/

https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/an-act-concerning-servants-and-slaves-1705/

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/10-facts-founding-fathers

https://www.monticello.org/exhibits-events/livestreams-videos-and-podcasts/enslaved-on-grounds-slavery-at-the-university-of-virginia/#:~:text=From%20Thomas%20Jefferson's%20founding%20of,nation's%20most%20prestigious%20public%20universities

Florida Episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-history-never-equal-never-protected-first-stop/id1485019282?i=1000623777868

Indiana Episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-history-never-equal-never-protected-up-north/id1485019282?i=1000627180421

In this episode, the hosts discuss Justice O'Connor's role as the "swing vote" as the Court addressed major fault lines in our society on issues such as abortion, affirmative action, and gender equality.

Planned Parenthood v. Casey

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/505/833/

Grutter v. Bollinger

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/539/306/