On September 17, 2024, Professor John Q. Barrett gave the Constitution Day lecture at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. His topic was Justice Robert H. Jackson and the U.S. Supreme Court’s Path to Brown v. Board of Education.

Professor Barrett is a biographer of Pennsylvania native Robert H. Jackson, who served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1941-1954. Justice Jackson was one of the nine justices who decided unanimously in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that public school racial segregation is unconstitutional. Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote Brown for the Court. Justice Jackson was an active and notable part of Brown’s deciding.

The Constitution Day proceedings are posted on Duquesne University’s YouTube channel and begin with University President Ken Gormley’s welcome remarks. At the 8:05 mark, Hon. Thomas G. Saylor, Chief Justice Emeritus of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, introduces Professor Barrett and his lecture, which starts at the 13:00 mark.