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Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site
News
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| Jake Gatchell/The Topeka Capital-Journal | | From right, panelists Donald Redmon, Richard Ridley, Henry "Hank" Alberg, Mayor Bill Bunten and Jack Alexander listen to Ridley at Topeka High School. |
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Separate, but Equal?
Date: October 29, 2009
On October 15, 2009, approximately 400 people gathered at historic Topeka High School to hear five former high-school basketball players reminisce about their days on the court. All five played men’s basketball at Topeka High in the late 1940s, but they played for different teams. Prior to 1950, Topeka High maintained segregated basketball teams: the all-white Trojans and the all-black Ramblers. After welcoming comments from local historical associations and Brown v. Board of Education NHS Acting Superintendent Dave Schafer, two former Trojans and three former Ramblers shared their experiences, both on and off the court, in a moderated panel discussion.
Unlike most southern states, school segregation was not required in Kansas, however, an 1879 state law made segregation permissible for cities with more than 15,000 residents. Elementary schools in Topeka were segregated in the late 1940s, but the city integrated its high schools years before. Classes were integrated at Topeka High in the late 1940s, while social functions like school dances, were segregated. Baseball and football teams were integrated, but not basketball.
Segregation created unequal conditions for the Ramblers. Rambler Donald Redmon recalled that his only choice was to play basketball was as a Rambler. Rambler home games were played across town at East Topeka Junior High School, not at Topeka High. After recalling his own memorable experiences playing in Topeka High’s gymnasium, former Trojan and Topeka Mayor Bill Bunten remarked, “You can’t diminish the indignities [the Ramblers] had to suffer.”
Participants also shared moments of humor. Former Rambler Jack Alexander drew laughs when he exclaimed the only teams he ever wanted to play for were the Ramblers and the Harlem Globetrotters. Alexander urged Hank Alberg to share an experience from his 50th Class Reunion in 1999. Alberg was the only Trojan in attendance at the reunion. He recalled Ramblers at the reunion quickly dubbing him an “honorary Rambler.”
Attendees were treated to an appearance by renowned college basketball coach Dean Smith, who was recognized and presented with a plaque by Mayor Bunten. Smith coached thirty-six seasons at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and retired with more wins than any other college coach. He was also a 1949 graduate of Topeka High School and a former Trojan.
Topeka High School integrated men’s basketball four years prior to the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education. The Brown decision declared segregation unconstitutional by striking down the “separate but equal” doctrine established in the 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson. Panel members could only speculate as to why men’s basketball remained segregated in the late 1940s, or what motivated the school to finally disband the Ramblers in 1950. Their personal experiences exemplify how complex the history of segregation is in the United States, even with the benefit of hindsight.
Bill Moore, a 1969 graduate of Topeka High, summarized the significance of the evening, "Part of healing is understanding and claiming our collective voices. The event provided the opportunity to claim voices and make a difference in a quiet, respectful manner. It was an inspiration to see those men on the panel come together under the Trojan banner."
The event was co-sponsored by the Shawnee County Historical Society; Topeka High School Historical Society; Shawnee County Sports Council; Visit Topeka, Inc.; WIBW 580 Radio; and the National Park Service.
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| National Park Service | | Ron Parker, Norton Canfield, Willie Faye Smith, Ken Ruhnke, and Dave Schafer provide "Music of the Parks" at the First Friday Artwalk. |
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First Friday Artwalk a Success
Date: August 12, 2009
Over 100 visitors enjoyed art depicting scenes found in America's national parks and music from National Park Service (NPS) employees on Friday, August 7 at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. The site is currently hosting the "Paint the Parks100 Mini50" exhibit, which is organized by , a national non-profit organization that supports and promotes the visual arts.
As one of America’s leading traveling exhibitions, “Paint the Parks” features works by many of the country’s best known contemporary artists, as well as works by talented emerging artists. The Mini50 exhibit is created annually from a national juried artists’ competition and includes the 50 highest scoring pieces out of the nearly 1,000 paintings submitted in the mini category (paintings 10” x 18” or smaller).
National Park Service employees who shared their music included Norton Canfield, Park Guide at Harry S Truman NHS. A professional musician before beginning a career with the NPS, Canfield frequently performed as a well-known singer-songwriter in the Kansas City area.
Three NPS employees from Chickasaw National Recreation Area also provided music for the artwalk. Chief of Interpretation Ron Parker and Landscape Architect Ken Ruhnke, a guitar-fiddle musical duo, often perform their original tunes at south-central Oklahoma venues. Park Guide Willie Faye Smith is a gifted singer whose rich voice fills the room during her renditions of folk, gospel, and blues songs.
Current Brown v. Board of Education NHS Chief of Interpretation and Education Dave Schafer also displayed his banjo skills and the five musicians played several songs together.
The “Paint the Parks” exhibit will be displayed at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site free of charge from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily from July 18 through August 31. This showing is the final stop on the 2008 national tour.
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Going Green at Brown!
Date: July 7, 2009
On June 27, 2009, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site held a recycling event for the local community of Topeka. Entitled “Go Green at Brown,” the event provided a variety of recycling opportunities at a centralized area. This saved people from driving around town to drop off their recyclable goods. Through radio and television hype, 250 people hauled their tires, chauffeured their electronics, cell phones, scrap metal, glass, paper, aluminum and plastics to the site to participate in conservation: “thinking globally by acting locally.” Visitors also encountered demonstrations given by Master Gardeners concerning compost making and rain barrels. These demonstrations elevated household conservation practices by reducing and reusing waste to put to good measure: rich fertile soil to plant with and collecting rain to water those plants on dry days. Park staff also presented the philosophy of Leave No Trace at the event.
Was this event successful? The Safety and Environmental Management Team, who organized the event says, “Yes, the three hour event was successful!” 98 tires rolled in to be recycled. 5,382 total pounds of electronics, which included 47 televisions (2,709 lbs) and 36 computer monitors (1,238 lbs) are staying out of the landfill. 3 cell phones and 200 pounds of scrap metal were also added to what the Topekans recycled at the event.
Local environmentally conscious and friendly business offered their recycling and conservation opportunities to the public. We pass thanks to: Home Recycling providing the “basic” recycling goods (glass, plastic, aluminum and paper); Performance Tires for collecting the tires which are sent to make tables and benches; Extreme Recycling for electronics and carrying off with nearly three tons of recycled materials; the Shawnee County Extension Office for informative pamphlets on the county’s recycling programs and opportunities; and the Master Gardeners for their engagement with the community and enthusiasm for conservation. We hope to work with these institutions the next time we “Go Green at Brown.”
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| National Park Service/Cheryl DeShazer | | Park Guide Aaron Firth helps a student fly a kite. |
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Go Fly a Kite!
Date: May 5, 2009
On Tuesday, April 21, 2009, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site hosted over one hundred kindergarten and fourth grade students from Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet School for a day of kite flying and outdoor fun. The program, a special Junior Ranger Day 2009 activity, was made possible through a partnership between the National Park Service and the . The day of activity promoted both National Park Week and National Kite Flying Month.
Park Guide Aaron Firth presented a talk on the history of kites and kite connections with National Park Service sites and programs. John Marr, of the Topeka Kite Fliers club, provided kite safety and flying tips for the students as well as demonstrated some advanced tricks and maneuvers. Following the demonstration, the students were told to “go fly a kite!” Each fourth grade student attending the program was provided a kite with which he or she could try their own hand at taking to the sky. One fourth grade class brought special guests, their kindergarten reading “buddies,” to pair up and share in the activity.
The sight of dozens of kites flying above the field at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site drew much attention from passersby including a photographer from The Capital-Journal who snapped some photos which were featured along with a short article about the event in the . Although shifting winds caused several students to have trouble keeping their kites aloft, the overall experience was rewarding for everyone involved.
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| Sister Maria Luz Hernandez | | Sister Maria Luz Hernandez at a breakfast rally with Cesar Chavez planning an upcoming boycott at St. Augustine's Catholic Church in Newark, New Jersey, January 1975. |
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Viva la Causa! Film Screening
Date: April 2, 2009
On March 31, the anniversary of the birthday of César Chávez, a new documentary film, Viva la Causa!, was screened at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. The film, produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance Project, depicts the 1960’s struggle against exploitation and abuse that was experienced by agricultural workers.
The career of César Chávez and especially his commitment to social change through nonviolent resistance brought comparisons to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. Chávez, who passed away in 1993, left a legacy of better working conditions for agricultural workers and improvement in civil rights for Mexican Americans and other groups in the United States, and left a testimony to the power of organized nonviolent resistance as a philosophy for addressing social injustice.
In the discussion period after the film, it was discovered that one of the audience members, Sister Maria Luz Hernandez, a spry 84-year-old retired nun, served as a volunteer in the United Farm Workers movement. She shared photos, newspaper clippings and recollections of her three years on the campaign. The photos featured her standing with Chavez and leading marches on behalf of the cause. All in attendance were honored to hear her first-hand account.
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| National Park Service\Cheryl DeShazer | | Students from a local school watch the screen as President-elect Obama arrives. |
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Park Visitors Share Inauguration Experience
Date: January 21, 2009
The inauguration of President Barack Obama drew 200 people to view the swearing-in ceremony and the inaugural address on the big screen in the auditorium at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. The crowd included 50 third graders from Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet School and family members of the plaintiffs of the Brown v. Board of Education case.
The audience's intent focus on the ceremony was interspersed with shouts of joy, standing ovations, and tearful moments. Many visitors commented on the sense of history that they felt in sharing this experience at a national historic site dedicated to civil rights and the end of legalized racial segregation in our nation. At least eight news media outlets were on-hand to capture the scene.
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