Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court public school desegregation case Brown v. Board of Education, WITH ALL DELIBERATE SPEED chronicles the experiences of two towns involved in the lawsuit (which represented six separate cases), and provides insight into the legacy of the decision. The push to integrate public schools began with the activism of ordinary people and lead to a major civil rights battle. For example, the Reverend Joe Delaine of Clarendon County, South Carolina began his campaign with the simple request for a school bus for the county's African American students. And Barbara Johns of Farmville, Virgina, at the young age of 16, orchestrated a formidable campaign to improve school conditions. The film also features contemporary students who suffer from a very real--though not legally enforced--segregation, including students from a Washington, DC high school who endure leaky roofs and outdated textbooks.

Contrasting archival footage and photographs with contemporary interviews of key movement leaders and surviving members of their families, the film features moving interviews with teenagers about the famous case and the people who made it happen. Another particularly effective technique is the reading of archival speeches and letters by African American celebrities, including singer Alicia Keys and actor Mekhi Phifer. While films such as EYES ON THE PRIZE have explored the issue more broadly, the educational and compelling WITH ALL DELIBERATE SPEED provides a detailed look at a specific and important chapter in the Civil Rights movement.