Film Festival Celebrates African American History Month

In celebration of African American History Month, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site is hosting a film festival. A different film will be screened each Saturday at 2 p.m. during the month of February. The films explore and depict issues of race and will range from classic films like To Kill a Mockingbird to the Disney animated film, The Princess and the Frog. All films are free and open to the public and will be followed by a brief discussion led by a park ranger. Popcorn and drinks will also be provided, so bring the whole family!

February 4 Remember the Titans (Rated PG)
February 11 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Not Rated)
February 18 The Princess and the Frog (Rated G)
February 25 To Kill a Mockingbird (Not Rated)

Remember the Titans features Denzel Washington and explores racial discrimination and conflict on a high school football team in Arlington, Virginia. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was a groundbreaking film that depicted the struggles over interracial marriage and stars Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy, and Katherine Hepburn. Interracial marriages were still illegal in some states when the film was released in 1967. The Princess and the Frog is a Disney animated film from 2009 that was the first to feature an African American princess. To Kill a Mockingbird is the film adaption of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning book of the same title starring Gregory Peck. Released fifty years ago in 1962, the film won three Academy Awards and widely celebrated as a classic in American cinema.

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site tells the story of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended legal segregation in public schools. The site is located at 1515 SE Monroe Street in Topeka, Kansas, and is open free of charge from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with the exceptions of Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. For more information visit, www.nps.gov/brvb or call (785) 354-4273.

Free Admission to All National Parks from January 14-16

Release date: January 11, 2012
Contact: Justin Sochacki
Phone number: (785) 354-4273

Topeka, KS -Start your new year with a free visit to a national park! All 397 national parks across the country will offer free admission from January 14 through 16 to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, including the five national parks of Kansas.

You can literally walk in Dr. King's footsteps at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Georgia, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail in Alabama, or the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC - just a few of the many national parks that have direct ties to Dr. King.

"Dr. King led the fight to realize his dream of a nation free of discrimination, where every citizen was able to enjoy the inalienable rights promised to all Americans," said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. "Dr. King's story and those of so many others whose efforts changed our country are preserved in the national parks, places where history happened. I hope every American can take advantage of the upcoming fee free weekend and visit their parks to experience their history firsthand."

Five outstanding national parks also await you in Kansas: Fort Scott National Historic Site, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Nicodemus National Historic Site, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, and Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. Your local national parks can help you keep that New Year's resolution, whether it is to get more exercise, spend quality time with family and friends, try a new sport, learn some history, expand your horizons, or enjoy the natural world. There's something for everyone at a national park, even in the middle of winter. A list of activities can be found at www.nps.gov.

The National Park Service will also waive admission fees on 14 other days in 2012 - National Park Week (April 21 to 29), Get Outdoors Day (June 9), National Public Lands Day (September 29), and the weekend of Veterans Day (November 10 to 12).

About the National Park Service
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 397 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Activities at Brown v. Board Site

Release date: Janaury 9, 2012
Contact: Justin Sochacki
Phone number: (785) 354-4273

Topeka, KS - All are invited to commemorate and celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. The day will include film screenings, children's activities, and a trivia game with prizes. All activities are free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on January 16.

Children and families visiting the site may participate in a variety of activities to learn more about Dr. King and his legacy. Scavengers hunts focused on Dr. King will be available. Children and family members can express their own creativity by creating a protest sign inspired by slogans of the civil rights movement. A trivia game about Dr. King will also be available. All trivia participants will take home a souvenir, but a special prize will be awarded to the top scoring team in each game.

The park will screen two highly acclaimed films on Martin Luther King, Jr. Both are productions of PBS's American Experience, the longest running and most watched history series on television. "Citizen King" focuses on the last five years of King's life following his historic "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963. Filmmaker Orlando Bagwell said of "Citizen King," "This is not a film about the last days of a great leader. Rather, it is a story of a man losing fear, gaining courage, and becoming great." "Roads to Memphis: The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr." will also be screened. This gripping film chronicles the tragic events leading to the assassination of King and the subsequent manhunt that brought his assassin, James Earl Ray, to justice.

Children's activities will be available all day. Movie and trivia times will be:

Film Screening: "Citizen King," 10 a.m. - Noon
King Trivia: 10:30 a.m.
Film Screening: "Roads to Memphis," 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
King Trivia: 1:30 p.m.
Film Screening: "Citizen King," 2:45 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
King Trivia: 3:00 p.m.

Western National Parks Association (WNPA) will offer all visitors a 15% discount on all purchases at the park bookstore. Teachers and educators receive 20% off all purchases year-round. WNPA is also generously donating prizes for the winning trivia teams.

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site tells the story of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended legal segregation in public schools. The site is located at 1515 SE Monroe Street in Topeka, Kansas, and is open free of charge from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with the exceptions of Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. For more information visit, www.nps.gov/brvb or call (785) 354-4273.

Candlelight Vigil to Honor Victims of Gun Violence

Release date: January 5, 2011
Release Contact: Justin Sochacki
Phone number: (785) 354-4273

Topeka, KS - Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site will host a candlelight vigil to honor the memories of the victims of gun violence at 5 p.m. on January 8. All members of the community are invited to attend. Park Superintendent David Smith will lead the vigil.

The historic site recognizes the destructive effect gun violence has had on park neighbors with the recent shooting at Mo's Express. The vigil will also provide an opportunity for park staff to honor the memory of National Park Service Ranger Margaret Anderson, who died in the line of duty on New Year's Day. Anderson was shot to death at Mount Rainier National Park as she attempted to stop her eventual killer from proceeding into a crowded park with multiple firearms. These two tragic events are sad reminders that gun violence can affect any community and any neighborhood.

January 8 also marks the one-year anniversary of the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others in a Tucson area shopping center that resulted in six deaths. Candlelight vigils will be held across the nation to educate the public of the dangers of gun violence and to honor the memories of those lost.

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site tells the story of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended legal segregation in public schools. The site is located at 1515 SE Monroe Street in Topeka, Kansas, and is open free of charge from 9 am to 5 pm daily, with the exceptions of Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1. For more information visit, www.nps.gov/brvb or call (785) 354-4273.