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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Foundation Document Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site Kansas August 2017 Mission of the National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world. The NPS core values are a framework in which the National Park Service accomplishes its mission. They express the manner in which, both individually and collectively, the National Park Service pursues its mission. The NPS core values are: • Shared stewardship: We share a commitment to resource stewardship with the global preservation community. • Excellence: We strive continually to learn and improve so that we may achieve the highest ideals of public service. • Integrity: We deal honestly and fairly with the public and one another. • Tradition: We are proud of it; we learn from it; we are not bound by it. • Respect: We embrace each other’s differences so that we may enrich the well-being of everyone. The National Park Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. While numerous national park system units were created prior to 1916, it was not until August 25, 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act formally establishing the National Park Service. The national park system continues to grow and comprises more than 400 park units covering more than 84 million acres in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These units include, but are not limited to, national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. The variety and diversity of park units throughout the nation require a strong commitment to resource stewardship and management to ensure both the protection and enjoyment of these resources for future generations. Introduction Every unit of the national park system will have a foundational document to provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park as well as the park’s purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park planning. Along with the core components, the assessment provides a focus for park planning activities and establishes a baseline from which planning documents are developed. A primary benefit of developing a foundation document is the opportunity to integrate and coordinate all kinds and levels of planning from a single, shared understanding of what is most important about the park. The process of developing a foundation document begins with gathering and integrating information about the park. Next, this information is refined and focused to determine what the most important attributes of the park are. The process of preparing a foundation document aids park managers, staff, and the public in identifying and clearly stating in one document the essential information that is necessary for park management to consider when determining future planning efforts, outlining key planning issues, and protecting resources and values that are integral to park purpose and identity. While not included in this document, a park atlas is also part of a foundation project. The atlas is a series of maps compiled from available geographic information system (GIS) data on natural and cultural resources, visitor use patterns, facilities, and other topics. It serves as a GIS-based support tool for planning and park operations. The atlas is published as a (hard copy) paper product and as geospatial data for use in a web mapping environment. The park atlas for Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site can be accessed online at: http://insideparkatlas.nps.gov/. Part 1: Core Components The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park, park purpose, significance statements, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. These components are core because they typically do not change over time. Core components are expected to be used in future planning and management efforts. Brief Description of the Park Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site (Brown v. Board or the park), located in Topeka, Kansas, covers two acres and includes the historic Monroe Elementary School, which served African American students during the segregation era. The neighborhood in which the park is located is a few blocks southeast of downtown Topeka. The neighborhood includes residences, light industry, small businesses, and vacant lots. Brown v. Board interprets the people, places, and events that contributed to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that outlawed segregation in public education. Furthermore, the park interprets the integral role of the Brown case in the civil rights movement, preserves the former Monroe Elementary School and associated cultural landscape, and assists in the interpretation of related local, national, and international resources that further the understanding of the civil rights movement. The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) is one of the most pivotal opinions ever rendered by that body. This landmark decision highlights the court’s role in affecting changes in national and social policy. Often when people think of the case, they remember a little girl whose parents sued so that she could attend an all-white school in her neighborhood. In reality, the story of Brown v. Board of Education is far more complex. By 1951, the country had experienced tremendous change that brought the nation closer to ending legal segregation. As the Cold War ideologies of the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as global counterpoints, the practice of racial segregation became an international issue, rather than a domestic issue. As the United States sought new allies to counter Soviet gains in Eastern Europe, it needed to shed the hypocrisy of advocating freedom and equality for all on the international stage while denying basic rights to its African American citizens at home. As a result, President Truman in 1947 used executive authority to order desegregation of the military. The Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the racial restrictive covenants that prevented African Americans and other minority groups from purchasing property in white neighborhoods. Additionally, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) won numerous legal victories to integrate colleges in Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri that established a new legal precedent to challenge segregation in public schools. After nearly 60 years of “separate but equal,” the NAACP and the nation were on the verge of a major victory against segregation. In late summer of 1948, members of the Topeka, Kansas, chapter of the NAACP volunteered to challenge the “separate but equal” doctrine governing public education. Following a strategy mapped out by Thurgood Marshall, head of the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, Topeka Branch President McKinley Burnett continued to petition the Board of Education to voluntarily desegregate the public schools while branch lawyers began putting a case together and signing up plaintiffs, often recruiting friends and neighbors. A group of 13 parents agreed to participate on behalf of their 20 children. In the summer of 1950, the branch notified the NAACP in New York that the school situation in Topeka had grown unbearable and they were prepared to go to court. In December 1952, the U.S. Supreme Court had on its docket cases from Kansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, South Carolina, and Virginia, all of which challenged the constitutionality of racial segregation in public schools. The U.S. Supreme Court had consolidated these five cases under one name, Oliver Brown et al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka. One of the justices later explained that the U.S. Supreme Court felt it was better to have representative cases from different parts of the country. They decided to put Brown first “so that the whole question would not smack of being a purely Southern one.” This collection of cases was the culmination of years of legal groundwork laid by the NAACP in its work to end segregation. None of the cases would have been possible without the many individuals who were courageous enough to take a stand against the segregated public school system. Each of the five cases that collectively formed Brown v. Board of Education at the Supreme Court level varied in their specifics. Lack of buses to distant schools, poor facilities, and absence of basic equipment and supplies were among the evidence in the cases outside of Kansas. In Topeka, the African American schools were housed in good quality buildings with supplies and teacher pay commensurate with the city’s white schools. However, children of the plaintiffs were denied access to their much closer neighborhood schools. Instead, they had to attend more distant facilities designated for their race. On May 17, 1954, at 12:52 p.m., the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision stating that it was unconstitutional—a violation of the 14th Amendment— to separate children in public schools for no other reason than their race. “We come then to the question presented: Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other ‘tangible’ factors may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does.” —1954 Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decision. Education was the main target of the NAACP legal strategy against segregation because of the role public education plays in promoting an equal society. Efforts to provide institutional educational opportunities for African Americans date back to the Freedmen’s Bureau, which established free schools for children of former slaves after the Civil War. Prominent African Americans, such as Frederick Douglass, spoke of the virtues of education as a mental escape from the bondage of slavery, and insurance that the next generation of African Americans would have more opportunities than their parents. He was succeeded by other black leaders, such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington, who also became vocal advocates for equal education for African Americans. After segregation became the norm following civil rights defeats at the Supreme Court in 1883 and 1896, Du Bois helped co-found the NAACP and pushed for education to become a primary focus of the organization’s efforts towards racial justice. From there, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund determined public education was the most viable pathway to end legal segregation and they developed a strategy in 1930 to challenge segregation in schools. Kansas wrestled with the question of incorporating African Americans into the legal and social fabric of the territory from the beginning. During a period known as “Bleeding Kansas” in the 1850s, men took to the ballot box and the battlefield with equal fury to decide whether Kansas would enter the Union a free or slave state. Even when it was determined that Kansas would join the Union free of slavery, citizens forging the new government argued bitterly over the presence and position of African Americans in the new state. At the end of the Civil War, those recently freed from bondage began to migrate out of the South. In 1874, the Kansas state legislature enacted a civil rights law making it illegal for any business serving the public or operating under a municipal license to discriminate on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. This protective law, coupled with the availability of land through the Homestead Act, resulted in a flood of African Americans looking for a safe place to settle in Kansas. Thousands of “Exodusters,” as they became known, fled the violence and legal discrimination of the South with the end of Reconstruction in 1877. The question of how to educate the children of the new arrivals remained a subject of debate. Kansas settled on voluntary segregation of public elementary schools in larger cities, with an emphasis in Topeka on providing materially equal facilities for African American children. This policy stood firm from the 1920s until the time of the Brown decision. Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site was established in Topeka, Kansas, on October 26, 1992, by Public Law 102-525. The park opened to the public in 2004 on the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. The Monroe Elementary School had, with the Sumner Elementary School in Topeka, been designated a national historic landmark in 1987. The park works with many partners to explore through exhibits, education programs, interpretation, and special events the story of Brown v. Board of Education in the context of the ongoing civil rights struggle. Working with partners enriches the services provided by the park staff and allows educators and NPS rangers to reach new untapped audiences. Park Purpose The purpose statement identifies the specific reason(s) for establishment of a particular park. The purpose statement for Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site was drafted through a careful analysis of its enabling legislation and the legislative history that influenced its development. The park was established when the enabling legislation adopted by Congress was signed into law on October 26, 1992 (see appendix A for enabling legislation). The purpose statement lays the foundation for understanding what is most important about the park. Park Significance Significance statements express why a park’s resources and values are important enough to merit designation as a unit of the national park system. These statements are linked to the purpose of Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, and are supported by data, research, and consensus. Statements of significance describe the distinctive nature of the park and why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. They focus on the most important resources and values that will assist in park planning and management. The following significance statements have been identified for Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. (Please note that the sequence of the statements does not reflect the level of significance.) 1. The Brown v. Board of Education decision declared unconstitutional the doctrine of “separate but equal” in the nation’s public educational system, striking down the 1896 decision in Plessy v. Ferguson. The decision affirmed the constitutional right of all persons to equal protection under the law as guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, establishing a legal precedent for dismantling other forms of segregation in the country. 2. Segregated schools and the quality of education they provided were crucial to the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Monroe and the other black Topeka elementary schools were found tangibly equal to their white counterparts, but the court determined that segregation itself had a negative effect on African American children and therefore ruled segregation was unconstitutional. 3. From the violent statehood struggles of the 1850s known as “Bleeding Kansas” to Brown v. Board of Education, the city of Topeka and Eastern Kansas frequently played an early and central role in America’s struggles over civil rights and racial equality. Fundamental Resources and Values Fundamental resources and values (FRVs) are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to warrant primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. Fundamental resources and values are closely related to a park’s legislative purpose and are more specific than significance statements. Fundamental resources and values help focus planning and management efforts on what is truly significant about the park. One of the most important responsibilities of NPS managers is to ensure the conservation and public enjoyment of those qualities that are essential (fundamental) to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. If fundamental resources and values are allowed to deteriorate, the park purpose and/or significance could be jeopardized. The following fundamental resources and values have been identified for Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site: • Monroe Elementary School and Grounds. Monroe Elementary School was the school Linda Brown attended after she was denied attendance at the all-white Sumner Elementary School. This black elementary school, as well as schools like it in other states, and the quality of education provided at these all-black schools was crucial to the Supreme Court’s decision in the Brown v. Board of Education case. The two-story brick building and surrounding fields retain their appearance from the time of the court case and it serves as the headquarters and primary visitor destination of the park. • Associations / Partnerships. The park’s legislation directs the National Park Service to interpret the Brown v. Board of Education case’s impact on civil rights history in the United States, and to assist in the preservation and interpretation of Brown v. Board of Education-related sites in Topeka. In order to meet these directives, the park relies on partnering with other organizations. • Personal Experiences and Oral Histories. There are many people alive today who witnessed the issues that led to the Brown v. Board of Education case in the 1950s as well as the results of the Supreme Court’s decision. Recordings and videos of these first-hand accounts are maintained at the park and other locations, and are valuable for understanding the impacts of the case. • The Local Story of Segregation in Topeka and Kansas. Race was a fiercely debated topic long before Kansas became a state. Keeping the stories about race discussions and conflicts in Topeka and Kansas alive is important to the park’s legislative directive to assist in the preservation and interpretation of Brown v. Board of Education-related sites in Topeka. • The Clark Doll. Because the Topeka segregated schools were considered tangibly equal in terms of facilities and teaching quality, the Supreme Court case was able to focus on • the role of segregation itself, and whether it had a negative impact on African American children. The doll, on display at the park, was used in pioneering race studies by Mamie Clark and Dr. Kenneth Clark, who provided pivotal testimony in one of the five cases that were combined into the Brown trial, about the detrimental impacts of segregation on self- perception by black children. • The Story of Brown v. Board of Education’s Impact on Civil Rights in America. The Brown v. • Board of Education decision had a significant impact on the civil rights movement by establishing a legal precedent for dismantling other forms of segregation in the • United States. This led to increased opportunities for minorities in housing, employment, and other arenas. The park’s legislation directs the National Park Service to interpret Brown v. Board of Education’s impact on civil rights history in the United States. Other Important Resources and Values Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site contains other resources and values that are not fundamental to the purpose of the park and may be unrelated to its significance, but are important to consider in planning processes. These are referred to as “other important resources and values” (OIRV). These resources and values have been selected because they are important in the operation and management of the park and warrant special consideration in park planning. The following other important resources and values have been identified for Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site: • Archeological Collections. The archeological collections of records and items found on the grounds of the Monroe Elementary School reflect the lives and material culture of the residents who lived in the neighborhood from the late 1860s until 1928. The archeological resources, combined with historical information, tell the story of the migration and settlement of freed slaves in Topeka, Kansas. These generations lived during the segregation era and were the forefathers/mothers of those who ultimately pushed for equality in the 1950s and 1960s. The park’s archeological collections are housed at the NPS Midwest Archeological Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Related Resources Related resources are not owned by the park. They may be part of the broader context or setting in which park resources exist; represent a thematic connection that would enhance the experience of visitors; or have close associations with park fundamental resources and the purpose of the park. The related resource represents a connection with the park that often reflects an area of mutual benefit or interest, and collaboration, between the park and owner/stakeholder. There are numerous resources related to the Brown v. Board of Education story that are not owned and managed by the National Park Service. Although the National Park Service has no direct management role in these resources, their continued preservation is of great importance to the park. The following related resources and values have been identified for Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site: Resources Related to the Brown v. Board of Education Case in Topeka: 1. Sumner Elementary School. This is the all-white school that denied attendance to Linda Brown. This is part of the national historic landmark designation of Monroe Elementary School. Please see appendix D for additional information. 2. U.S. Courthouse/Post Office/Federal Building. This is where the Topeka court case was decided in favor of the school district. Please see appendix D for additional information. 3. Washburn University Law School historic 8th Street location. This is the historic location of the lawyers for the Brown family. 4. Historic NAACP office. The strategy for the local court case was developed in this office. 5. St. Mark’s AME Church. Linda Brown’s father was the pastor at this church, and was in the church when he heard the news that the Supreme Court had decided in favor of the family. 6. Buchanan Elementary and other Topeka public schools from the Brown v. Board of Education era that are still standing. The Brown case involved the Topeka public elementary school system, not just the Monroe and Sumner Elementary Schools. 7. Collections kept by the Topeka school board, State of Kansas, and Washburn University law department related to the Brown case. Resources Related to the Brown v. Board of Education Case Nationally: 1. U.S. Supreme Court (Washington, DC). This is where the final verdict in the Brown v. Board of Education case was determined. 2. Other schools involved in the Brown case: a. John Philip Sousa Junior High School (Washington, DC) b. Howard High School (Wilmington, Delaware) c. Robert Russa Moton High School and museum (Farmville, Virginia) d. Summerton High School (Summerton, South Carolina) e. Scotts Branch High School (Summerton, South Carolina) f. Dunbar M Street High School (Washington, DC)—one of the first high schools for African Americans in the United States. 3. Liberty Hill Baptist Church (Summerton, South Carolina)—Meeting place for petitioners demanding integrated schools in the case Briggs vs. Elliott that eventually became part of Brown v. Board of Education. 4. Redding House (Wilmington, Delaware)—Home of Louis Redding, a NAACP attorney who represented the plaintiffs in Belton v. Gebhart, a case that eventually became part of Brown v. Board of Education. 5. Howard Law School (Washington, DC). 6. Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site (Little Rock, Arkansas)—The nine African American students’ persistence in attending the formerly all-white Central High School was the most prominent national example of the implementation of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. 7. Resources Related to Kansas Civil Rights Beyond the Brown v. Board of Education Case: 8. Constitution Hall (Topeka). This building housed the free-state legislature and is where the free-state constitution was drafted in 1855. 9. Lecompton Constitution Hall (Lecompton). This building housed the slave-state legislature and is where the slave-state constitution was drafted in 1857. 10. 1856 Historic Ritchie House (Topeka). An Underground Railroad site in Topeka. 11. John Brown’s cabin (Osawatomie). Home of abolitionist John Brown and a state historic site. 12. Nicodemus National Historic Site (Nicodemus). The oldest and only remaining black settlement west of the Mississippi River. 13. Fort Scott National Historic Site (Fort Scott). Site of a “Bleeding Kansas” incident. 14. Black Jack Battlefield (Baldwin). Site of a “Bleeding Kansas” battle. 15. Marais des Cygnes Massacre State Historic Site (Trading Post). Site of a “Bleeding Kansas” massacre. 16. Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites in Kansas. Interpretive Themes Interpretive themes are often described as the key stories or concepts that visitors should understand after visiting a park—they define the most important ideas or concepts communicated to visitors about a park unit. Themes are derived from, and should reflect, park purpose, significance, resources, and values. The set of interpretive themes is complete when it provides the structure necessary for park staff to develop opportunities for visitors to explore and relate to all park significance statements and fundamental and other important resources and values. Interpretive themes are an organizational tool that reveal and clarify meaning, concepts, contexts, and values represented by park resources. Sound themes are accurate and reflect current scholarship and science. They encourage exploration of the context in which events or natural processes occurred and the effects of those events and processes. Interpretive themes go beyond a mere description of the event or process to foster multiple opportunities to experience and consider the park and its resources. These themes help explain why a park story is relevant to people who may otherwise be unaware of connections they have to an event, time, or place associated with the park. The following interpretive themes have been identified for Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. Many subthemes exist; they have been omitted for clarity but can be found in the park’s 2012 long-range interpretive plan. • The Brown v. Board of Education decision by the U.S. Supreme Court was the culmination of a century of personal struggles and legal battles in the fight to achieve racial equality in the United States and continues to influence the everyday lives of Americans today. The focus of this theme is on the circumstances leading up to the case and the case itself, and it is intended to convey the significance of the “case of the century” as the result of the efforts of many people. • The Brown v. Board of Education decision provided the legal, social, moral, and philosophical underpinning for the major civil rights actions later taken by citizens and the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government, establishing a landmark precedent that continues to inform debate over the meaning of equality. The focus is on the subsequent impact of the case, and the theme is intended to convey its legacy. • Monroe Elementary School reflects the excellence of all-black schools in an educational system in Topeka that implemented racial segregation in elementary schools, representing the conflicted attitudes and policies toward African Americans that have characterized Kansas from its bloody entry into the Union as a free state to its adoption of permissible segregation laws. The Brown v. Board of Education decision • was shaped by events in Kansas, a state that was deeply involved in the national struggle for freedom and equality from the 1850s to the 1950s. The focus of the theme is on the unique history and culture of Kansas, and it is intended to convey that significance. • The local communities that initiated the five court cases comprising Brown v. Board of Education experienced significant consequences as a result of the movement to • desegregate the nation’s public schools, reminding us of the costs as well as the benefits involved in the national fight for equality and racial integration. The focus of this theme is on the local communities and their experiences. It is intended to convey the significance of the “case of the century” and its history and legacy, as well as inspire audiences through the stories of personal sacrifices made for the greater common good. • Brown v. Board of Education inspires the celebration of our common humanity and reminds us that engaged citizens, whether they are students, parents, teachers, lawyers, or judges, can move a nation—and the world—toward equality and justice for all. The focus of this theme is on inspiration and a call to action. Part 2: Dynamic Components The dynamic components of a foundation document include special mandates and administrative commitments and an assessment of planning and data needs. These components are dynamic because they will change over time. New special mandates can be established and new administrative commitments made. As conditions and trends of fundamental and other important resources and values change over time, the analysis of planning and data needs will need to be revisited and revised, along with key issues. Therefore, this part of the foundation document will be updated accordingly. Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments Many management decisions for a park unit are directed or influenced by special mandates and administrative commitments with other federal agencies, state and local governments, utility companies, partnering organizations, and other entities. Special mandates are requirements specific to a park that must be fulfilled. Mandates can be expressed in enabling legislation, in separate legislation following the establishment of the park, or through a judicial process. They may expand on park purpose or introduce elements unrelated to the purpose of the park. Administrative commitments are, in general, agreements that have been reached through formal, documented processes, often through memorandums of agreement. Examples include easements, rights-of-way, arrangements for emergency service responses, etc. Special mandates and administrative commitments can support, in many cases, a network of partnerships that help fulfill the objectives of the park and facilitate working relationships with other organizations. They are an essential component of managing and planning for Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. Special Mandates Per the enabling legislation, properties from the State of Kansas or its political subdivisions may only be acquired by donation. Administrative Commitments For more information about the existing administrative commitments for Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, please see appendix B. Assessment of Planning and Data Needs Once the core components of part 1 of the foundation document have been identified, it is important to gather and evaluate existing information about the park’s fundamental and other important resources and values, and develop a full assessment of the park’s planning and data needs. The assessment of planning and data needs section presents planning issues, the planning projects that will address these issues, and the associated information requirements for planning, such as resource inventories and data collection, including GIS data. There are three sections in the assessment of planning and data needs: 1. analysis of fundamental resources and values 2. identification of key issues and associated planning and data needs 3. identification of planning and data needs (including spatial mapping activities or GIS maps) The analysis of fundamental and other important resources and values and identification of key issues leads up to and supports the identification of planning and data collection needs. Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values The fundamental resource or value analysis table includes current conditions, potential threats and opportunities, planning and data needs, and selected laws and NPS policies related to management of the identified resource or value. Fundamental Resource or Value: Monroe Elementary School and Grounds Related Significance Statements: All significance statements Current Conditions and Trends Conditions • The Monroe Elementary School is listed in good condition in the Asset Priority Index • The grounds and parking lots are also in good condition • A security system exists and includes closed circuit television • The building is fully accessible • The visitor parking lot is not paved and is not Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible—the hump located in the parking lot is the railroad right-of-way • An abandoned Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad right-of-way abuts the unpaved visitor parking lot Hazardous wastes or contamination would need to be mitigated before the National Park Service could acquire it The presence or type of hazardous waste is unknown; the railroad has done core sampling, but the park has not seen the results • The auditorium and classrooms experience a high volume of NPS use, as well as significant use by non-NPS groups through memorandums of understanding or special use permits • Interpretive displays are in good condition but might warrant redesign The exhibits are not in full compliance with accessibility standards; however, a contractor has been engaged to remedy these issues • The park includes seven historic structures specified in the List of Classified Structures database: Monroe Elementary School, Playground – Paved, Baseball Back Stop, Flagpole, Parking Area Monroe Elementary School, Playground – Unpaved, Baseball Field • The significant landscape includes ballfields around the school, a parking area and alley in the rear, a concrete courtyard and sidewalks in front of the school, and a play lot east of the school This landscape is indicative of the vernacular character of the Topeka elementary schools of the period, and the features reflect the historic land use and support the associative significance of the site • Authentic furnishings present at the park site include a piece of slate (chalkboard) original to the building and a line of three desks from Topeka public schools of the era • Archeological resources are present on the grounds trends • The building is stable, with all known structural damage threats mitigated • Because of an old sewer system in the neighborhood, there is an unpleasant smell that periodically comes in through the air handling system • Exhibit accessibility should be up to standards within the next few years Threats and Opportunities: Threats • Graffiti and vandalism have occasionally occurred and remain a sporadic threat to the grounds and school exterior • The park resides in a neighborhood that is vulnerable to crime • Uncertainty over the railroad right-of-way has stymied efforts to improve the accessibility of the parking lot • Opportunities • There is an opportunity for more activities in the ballfield Children in the neighborhood have been using it informally • The library is an underused space, and could accommodate more usage by park staff, outside groups, or researchers Threats and Opportunities: Opportunities (continued) • Making the screen in the auditorium movable would allow more space for activities and presentations to be given there. There are structural issues with installing a retractable screen; more studies needs to be done to identify possibilities • There is a strip of land between the park and Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet School that the park does not own but maintains The general agreement to maintain this open space has expired There is an opportunity to work out a new agreement to maintain and use the open space, which would provide additional green space • Opportunities exist to continue to develop and use archeological resources in interpretive programming about the neighborhood prior to the present Monroe Elementary School Existing Data and Plans Related to the FRV • Cultural landscape guidelines, 2000 • Historic Structure Report, Monroe Elementary School, January 2000 • List of Classified Structures database, 2013 • Business plan, 2013 • Cultural landscape inventory Data and/or GIS Needs • Historic structure report (update) • Resolve right-of-way and property ownership questions Planning Needs • Exhibit strategy • Partnership management plan or partnership strategy Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV • Antiquities Act of 1906 • Historic Sites Act of 1935 • National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (54 USC §300101 et seq ) • Executive Order 11593, “Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment” • “Protection of Historic Properties” (36 CFR 800) • NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders) • NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 5) “Cultural Resource Management” • Director’s Order 28: Cultural Resource Management (1998) • The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation Current Conditions and Trends: Conditions • Memorandums of understanding are in place with the NAACP and Alpha Phi Alpha • A lease agreement allows the University of Kansas Public Management Center to use park classroom space to offer educational and leadership programs for public service professionals • Although there is no formal agreement, Topeka Public Schools holds meetings in park classrooms • There is a partnership agreement with Williams and Scott elementary schools for after- school programs • The park collaborates with the Kansas Historical Society on a number of activities • The park worked with the Rotary Club in writing a grant for a pocket park with Friends of Free State Capitol • The park has a memorandum of understanding with Bishop Portee, a church in California that owns the Sumner School • The park has previously partnered with an after-school group, the Kansas Enrichment Network, an after-school coalition • The park just entered a grant with the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, of which the park has been a member since 2012 The coalition conducts work at the park • The park has an agreement with U S Citizenship and Immigration Services and Kansas District Court for naturalization ceremonies • The park has an informal partnership with Washburn Law School • The park has various relationships with the following entities: • Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area • Friends of the Kaw • State of Kansas – Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism • City of Topeka Fire Department • City of Topeka Police Department • Topeka Shawnee County Public Library • Living the Dream, Inc • Boys and girls clubs from Lawrence, Topeka, and Kansas City areas • Keep American Beautiful • Shawnee County Historical Society • Friends of the Free State Capitol • Brown v Board Sumner Legacy Trust • Kansas Council for Social Studies • Kansas Council for History Education • Kansas City Museum Educators Round Table • Youth Leadership Advisory Council • Girl Scouts Trends • In general, the park has many partners with whom it works • There currently is no formal relationship with the Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research (Brown Foundation) Fundamental Resource or Value: Associations/Partnerships Threats and Opportunities Threats • Staff capacity and focus can be taxed by too many commitments if not strategically managed • Some partnerships should remain informal and/or sporadic; others would benefit from a more formal agreement or memorandum Opportunities • The park could expand its partnership with the University of Kansas • The park could collaborate with the U S Department of Justice to celebrate milestone anniversaries of important legislation • The park should seek partnerships and connections with relevant local, regional, and national organizations rather than waiting for them to come to the park Existing Data and Plans Related to the FRV • None identified Data and/or GIS Needs • None identified Planning Needs • Partnership management plan or partnership strategy Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance • NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 1 4) “Partnerships” Fundamental Resource or Value: Personal Experiences and Oral Histories Related Significance Statements • All significance statements Current Conditions and Trends: Conditions • Oral histories consist of primary experience remembrances and first-hand reflections • The park has associated paperwork for oral histories in the filing cabinets, but not all transcripts are available at the park • Dozens of oral histories were done by Kansas Historical Society and Archives as part of the Brown Foundation project, at the time of the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education in 2004 • Twelve interviews done by StoryCorps are stored at the Library of Congress • Oral histories are stored, in good condition, at a number of locations Trends • Currently, there is no expertise on staff to collect new oral histories • Oral histories currently are not being collected (Both the Brown Foundation and StoryCorps collections were one-time efforts ) Threats and Opportunities Threats • Opportunities to capture these oral histories are dwindling as people age Opportunities • Continue to collect oral histories • Cull through existing oral histories for exhibits and podcasts • Arrange for people who lived through segregation in Topeka to speak to school children and record those speeches • Capture the thoughts and stories of park visitors who attended Monroe Elementary School • Recruit for the Volunteers-In-Parks program those people who experienced school segregation • Encourage a complete collection or comprehensive finding aid for oral histories at different institutions • Identify individuals in the community who should be interviewed and have the park staff begin to develop questions they would like answered in the interviews • Explore with local universities the development of an oral history project for the park • Work with the cooperative association to find grants for oral history projects Related Resources and Values • Collections managed by the National Archives, United States Supreme Court, and State of Kansas Existing Data and Plans Related to the FRV • Franklin-Weekley, Rachel Historic Resource Study “A Strong Pull, a Long Pull, and a Pull Together: Topeka’s Contribution to the Campaign for School Desegregation ” NPS 1999 • Other histories that may lead to sources for interviews Data and/or GIS Needs • None identified Planning Needs • Scope of collections statement • Exhibit strategy • Partnership management plan or partnership strategy Fundamental Resource or Value: Personal Experiences and Oral Histories Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance • NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 2) “Studies and Collections” • NPS Management Policies 2006 (§2 3 1 4) “Science and Scholarship” • NPS Management Policies 2006 (§8 10) “Natural and Cultural Studies, Research, and Collection Activities” • NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 1 4) “Partnerships” Fundamental Resource or Value: The Local Story of Segregation in Topeka and Kansas Related Significance Statements: Significance statement 3 Current Conditions and Trends Conditions • The story is alive and is discussed freely and comprehensively • Local stories are not well represented in park exhibits The focus is more on the national picture, a deliberate choice at the time the exhibits were designed • The exhibits were designed so that school groups could learn the national story of segregation, but now schools are moving toward more specificity in telling that story Different grade levels emphasize different stories; for example, third graders study their community, fourth graders study famous Kansans, and seventh graders and high school students study American history • As many as a thousand visitors have used the Brown to Brown cell phone audio tour that takes visitors around Topeka, but the tour could be better marketed • Eight new waysides have been installed on park grounds to provide information even when the park is closed Four new waysides have been installed at sites around Topeka, at the Ritchie House, Constitution Hall, Buchanan School, and Federal Courthouse and Post Office • The park maintains good partnerships with locally related sites that help tell the story • Trends • Storytelling is encouraging engagement and connection with the story and history by the Topeka community • Knowledge about and discussion of the story after Brown are increasing; i e , the Brown II case, Topeka public schools desegregation in 1953 and how quickly it occurred, the issue of black teachers and their gradual transition from specialized, low stakes positions Threats and Opportunities Threats • People who visit the park and do not speak with a ranger may miss the connection between the building and the national Brown v. Board of Education story Opportunities • Ongoing research, which could yield new aspects of the story • Research using the Topeka Public School Board archives for the 1951 case Related Resources and Values • All Topeka elementary schools • Other sites related to the Topeka case; see the “Related Resources” section Existing Data and Plans Related to the FRV • Franklin-Weekley, Rachel Historic Resource Study “A Strong Pull, a Long Pull, and a Pull Together: Topeka’s Contribution to the Campaign for School Desegregation ” NPS 1999 • O’Brine, C R and W A Kritsonis (2008) Segregation through Brown vs. the Board of Education: A Setback or Landmark Case Houston, TX • Rosenblum, Thom Of Merit, Achievement & Service: The Story of Topeka’s Monroe School. 2009 • Rosenblum, Thom Unlocking the Schoolhouse Doors: Elisha Scott, “Colored Lawyer, Topeka.” Kansas History, Vol 36, No 1 (Spring 2013), 41–55 • Kluger, Richard Simple Justice: The History of Brown v Board of Education and Black America’s Struggle for Equality 1975 • National historic landmark documentation • Other books, essays, archives, and materials related to the local story of segregation in Topeka and Kansas Data and/or GIS Needs • None identified Fundamental Resource or Value: The Local Story of Segregation in Topeka and Kansas Planning Needs • Partnership management plan or partnership strategy • Exhibit strategy Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance • NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 1 4) “Partnerships” Fundamental Resource or Value: The Clark Doll Related Significance Statements: Statements 1 and 2 Current Conditions and Trends Conditions • The doll is in good and stable condition and is part of the park’s museum collection Some ultraviolet damage has occurred to its head • Originally, there were two white and two black dolls All but one have been “lost to time ” • The doll was important to the Dr Kenneth and Mamie Clark study that was introduced as psychological evidence in the Brown case • The doll was donated to the park, and there is a chain of custody and provenance Dr Kenneth Clark bought the doll at a drugstore Trends • The doll is in a Plexiglas case on a pedestal in the first floor hallway The case is not climate controlled • Visual damage to the doll has stabilized and is not progressing Threats and Opportunities Threats • Lack of a climate-controlled case may lead to deterioration of the doll • Security is moderate: the Plexiglas case is secured to the stand, so someone would have to smash it or steal the whole stand to abscond with the doll • There has not been much professional curatorial management of the doll, so there may be unknown threats Opportunities • Move the doll elsewhere in the Monroe Elementary School to better integrate it with exhibits It has been useful as an interpretive device in the tour introductions • Arrange for professional conservation assessment to determine condition and make recommendations for long-term preservation and display • Acquire additional collection items Related Resources and Values • The Dr Kenneth and Mamie Clark study data sheets reproduction images are in a drawer in the gallery Originals are not at the park Existing Data and Plans Related to the FRV • None identified Data and/or GIS Needs • Conservation assessment of the Clark doll Planning Needs • Scope of collections statement • Partnership management plan or partnership strategy • Exhibit strategy Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV • Museum Properties Management Act of 1955, as amended NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders) • NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 5) “Cultural Resource Management” • Director’s Order 24: NPS Museum Collections Management • NPS Museum Handbook, parts I, II, and III Fundamental Resource or Value The Story of Brown v. Board of Education’s Impact on Civil Rights in America Related Significance Statements Significance statement 1 Current Conditions and Trends Conditions • The story is alive and continuing There is a national dialog about the current state of de facto segregation in schools and the legacy of Brown • Organization-level interpretation of the case in the other communities whose cases were part of Brown v. Board of Education varies For example, some people are organizing in South Carolina, and the Robert Russa Moton Museum has been established in Virginia • The Robert Russa Moton Museum is a national historic landmark and honors the courage and sacrifice of Prince Edward County, Virginia, students and families, and their leading role in moving America from segregation toward integration • A number of U S Supreme Court cases are tied to Brown and related cases • Judicial trends at many levels of the justice system have implications for the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education and the ongoing social dynamic around race in this country Trends • Recent coverage of the 60th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision yielded positive press coverage • The national story of Brown v. Board of Education is broadly presented in the current park exhibits • The park is involved in a grant application with the International Sites of Conscience to look at the pipeline between schools and the criminal justice system for children of color Threats and Opportunities Threats • Limited designated space in Monroe Elementary School for temporary exhibits Opportunities • Develop exhibit about the five communities whose cases formed Brown v. Board of Education • Tie the national story to current events—educational equity, race, and the legal dimensions of civil rights Related Resources and Values • Resources related to the national case; see the “Related Resources” section Existing Data and Plans Related to the FRV • None identified Data and/or GIS Needs • None identified Planning Needs • Partnership management plan or partnership strategy • Exhibit strategy Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance • NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 1 4) “Partnerships” Identification of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs This section considers key issues to be addressed in planning and management and therefore takes a broader view over the primary focus of part 1. A key issue focuses on a question that is important for a park. Key issues often raise questions regarding park purpose and significance and fundamental and other important resources and values. For example, a key issue may pertain to the potential for a fundamental or other important resource or value in a park to be detrimentally affected by discretionary management decisions. A key issue may also address crucial questions that are not directly related to purpose and significance, but which still affect them indirectly. Usually, a key issue is one that a future planning effort or data collection needs to address and requires a decision by NPS managers. The following are key issues for Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site and the associated planning and data needs to address them: • Managing and Cultivating Partnerships. The park has partnerships with a variety of organizations, some formal and some informal, and managing current and developing new partnerships is a significant workload for staff. The park currently has no formal strategy for managing relationships. Some partner organizations have significant overlap in purpose with that of the park and the mission of the National Park Service; other relationships are based on convenience. A partnership management plan or strategy would help the park determine the roles of existing partnerships and whether there • are areas of overlap or gaps where new partnerships might be sought. It would also help the park determine when to enter into formal agreements and when to decline those opportunities. • Potential Collections. The park is place based, not object based, and currently does not manage many collection items. The opportunity exists to examine the possibility of a broader collections program. Such a program would allow visitors to interact with tangible artifacts related to the Brown case but would also require significant staff time and changes to the operating environment of the Monroe Elementary School. A • strategic look should be taken at the scope of collections statement to clarify what types of objects may be appropriate for the park to collect and curate. • Related Topeka Sites. The park’s legislation directs the park to “assist in the preservation and interpretation of related sites in Topeka” that further the civil rights story. There are many such related sites, and a key issue for the park is determining the level of staff time and money to invest in these related sites. Some sites are preserved and function well as partners, whereas others are less developed. A partnership management plan or strategy (as described above) might address a portion of this issue. • Breadth and Balance of the Civil Rights Story at the Park. The park’s legislation directs the park to interpret the Brown v. Board of Education case in terms of its impact on the larger civil rights movement. The civil rights movement is a story that is still evolving, and this aspect of the park could absorb the entirety of the park’s staff time and budget. There is a need to find an appropriate balance in focusing on the national and local stories related to the case. Guidance is needed on updating exhibits, especially on using new technologies. New exhibits about the five communities whose cases made up Brown v. Board of Education would help balance the story in park exhibits, which currently has only a national focus. • Education Strategy. The park is one of more than 400 units in the national park system, and, as the agency celebrates its 100th anniversary and looks to the century beyond, each park unit needs to find ways to interpret the system at large. How much staff time and energy to devote to promoting the National Park Service at large versus interpreting the Brown case and its affiliated civil rights stories is a strategic question. The park needs to target its educational strategy to cover all interpretive themes with appropriate focus and draw diverse audiences. • Rights-of-Way. Outstanding property ownership and acquisition questions related to a railroad right-of-way and an alley right-of-way need to be addressed. • Capacity. The park needs to consider how to best manage its full-time employee ceiling in light of funding limitations. The park is well funded compared to many other National Park Service units, but it does not have the desired staffing alignment to support the park’s purpose and vision. The park needs to develop strategies for increasing staff and volunteer capacity while remaining within budgetary and staffing limitations. Planning and Data Needs To maintain connection to the core elements of the foundation and the importance of these core foundation elements, the planning and data needs listed here are directly related to protecting fundamental resources and values, park significance, and park purpose, as well as addressing key issues. To successfully undertake a planning effort, information from sources such as inventories, studies, research activities, and analyses may be required to provide adequate knowledge of park resources and visitor information. Such information sources have been identified as data needs. Geospatial mapping tasks and products are included in data needs. Items considered of the utmost importance were identified as high priority, and other items identified, but not rising to the level of high priority, were listed as either medium- or low- priority needs. These priorities inform park management efforts to secure funding and support for planning projects. Data Needs – Where Information Is Needed Before Decisions Can Be Made Related to an FRV? Data and GIS Needs Priority (H, M, L) Notes Monroe School and Grounds : Resolve right-of- way and property ownership questions • This is a big stumbling block for both the 15th Street park / open space to the north and the railroad right-of-way Needs a single person to follow this and compile information Clark Doll: Conservation assessment of the Clark doll • Needed to determine how to care for and display the Clark doll The conservation assessment would assess condition and make recommendations for long-term preservation and display Monroe School and Grounds: Historic structure report (update) • Update existing historic structure report or develop new one to provide needed guidance to continue the appropriate care for the Monroe School Planning Needs – Where A Decision-making Process Is Needed Related to an FRV? Planning Need Priority (H, M, L) Notes All: Partnership management plan or partnership strategy • This plan would help the park determine the role of each existing partnership and if there are areas of overlap or gaps where new partnerships may be desired It would inform the allocation of resources and when to enter into new agreements and when to decline those opportunities It would also inform the expansion of partnerships with other sites in Topeka related to the Brown v. Board of Education case The park is in an urban center and is a small site that collaborates with a variety of organizations across many jurisdictions The existing strategy for establishing and nurturing partnerships is not been very formal, and a strategic plan for partnerships could enhance the work already being done Monroe School and Grounds, Story of Impact on Civil Rights, Local Story, Clark Doll: Exhibit strategy • This strategy would address the development of new exhibits about Topeka and the other four communities in the Brown case; the creation of more focused stories and connections to themes; the development of self-guided experiences and opportunities for feedback and reflection; and the incorporation more objects/props Clark Doll, Oral Histories: Scope of collections statement • The current scope of collections statement should be reevaluated in light of other strategy and planning efforts to determine whether a change in the collecting strategy should be considered Part 3: Contributors Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site • Sherda Williams, Superintendent David Smith, former Superintendent Angela Estep, Education Specialist Katrina Fraise, Administrative Officer Treva Harris, Chief of Maintenance • Stephanie Kyriazis, Chief of Interpretation, Education, and Cultural Resources Nick Murray, Education Specialist • Lisa (Stork) Nagurny, Education Technician Thomas Rosenblum, Historian • Justin Sochacki, Management Assistant Randal Standingwater, Park Guide NPS Midwest Region • Tokey Boswell, Chief, Planning and Compliance Division Natalie Franz, Planner • Other NPS Staff • Pam Holtman, Quality Assurance Coordinator, WASO Park Planning and Special Studies Nancy Shock, Foundation Coordinator, Denver Service Center, Planning Division • Ken Bingenheimer, (former) Editor, Denver Service Center, Planning Division • Melody Bentfield, (former) Contract Librarian, Denver Service Center, Planning Division • Angie Wing, (former) Visual Information Specialist, Denver Service Center, Planning Division Partners • Julie McPike, Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area • Thelma Gálvez Aldape, Migrant Facilitator, Topeka Public Schools Ronald Johnson, Assistant Principal, Topeka High School • Joyce Grigsby, Topeka Chapter, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Appendixes Appendix A: Enabling Legislation for Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site Appendix B: Inventory of Administrative Commitments Name: City of Topeka, Fire Agreement Type: Memorandum of agreement -- Fire Start Date: 5/14/2012 Expiration Date: 5/14/2017 Stakeholders: Fire service agency Purpose: Provide structural fire protection and emergency response Name: Western National Parks Association Agreement Type: Standard cooperating association agreement Start Date: Expiration Date: Stakeholders: Western National Parks Association Purpose: Standard NPS agreement between cooperating association and NPS units The association sells park approved educational and commemorative materials Name: Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area Agreement Type: Cooperative agreement Start Date: 5/31/2014 Expiration Date: 5/31/2017 Stakeholders: Historic sites of the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area; SCA Youth Academy Purpose: Support and outreach for interpretive programming; engaging youth in programming Name: University of Kansas Agreement Type: Title 18 Lease Start Date: 1/1/2016 Expiration Date: 1/1/2019 Stakeholders: KU students Purpose: Provide classroom space for KU Public Administration program Name: Various Agreement: General agreements with several nonprofit groups Start Date: Varied Expiration Date: Varied Stakeholders: Topeka Chapter NAACP; True Foundation World Outreach Ministries; Brown v Board Sumner Legacy Trust; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Purpose: Maintain historical connections to the Monroe School and maintain engagement of stakeholder groups with direct connection to history Outreach and engagement through miscellaneous interpretive events and programming Name: Various Agreement: Memorandums of understanding with several government agencies Start Date: Varied Expiration Date: Varied Stakeholders: Shawnee County Election Commission; U S District Court of Kansas Purpose: Further collaboration and the public purposes of federal and state agencies; introduce new audiences to history of Brown v. Board case Appendix C: Past and Ongoing Park Planning and Data Collection Efforts Existing plans and data collection efforts that provide guidance: • 2013 business plan • 2012 scope of collections statement • 2012 long-range interpretive plan • 2009 “The Story of Topeka’s Monroe School,” NPS • 2000 cultural landscape guidelines • 1999 historic resource study • 1996 general management plan, development concept plan, interpretation and visitor experience plan • 1992 environmental assessment for Monroe Elementary School rehabilitation • 1992 management alternatives study • 1991 national historic landmark nomination updates Appendix D: Selected Related Resources Sumner Elementary School Conditions • Presently owned by True Foundation World Outreach Ministries based in Los Angeles, California. • The Sumner School is deteriorating and vacant. The building is boarded up but not completely secured. Vandals and scrappers have removed a lot of the plumbing. • There is a memorandum of understanding with the building owners. • The Sumner Elementary School is a national historic landmark; it shares documentation and designation with the Monroe Elementary School. Trends • True Foundation World Outreach Ministries have expressed eagerness to see the building restored to positive use, but funding and planning to accomplish this have not occurred. • There is a group of citizens called Brown v. Board Sumner Legacy Trust that has come together to advocate for the building. The organization is in the early stages of development. • The building was listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation on its 2008 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places because of the threats of deterioration and neglect. Threats • The building is threatened by further deterioration and continued vulnerability to the elements. • The building is threatened by vandalism and scrapping. • Depending on the preferences of the owner, the park’s access to the building may fluctuate. • De-designation as a national historic landmark if deterioration continues. • Demolition. Opportunities • Opportunity for more guided walks from Monroe to Sumner Elementary Schools, to provide visitors with the opportunity to recognize interpretive connections between the two sites. • Opportunity to show differences and similarities in the Topeka schools by interpreting the Sumner Elementary School. • Opportunity for an institution to restore it and use it for something altruistic. • Opportunity to properly mothball the building for future preservation, rehabilitation, or reuse. The Brown v. Board Sumner Legacy Trust, in partnership with the building owner, has applied for a number of historic preservation grants in order to begin this process. • Opportunity to have a wayside installed on the Sumner Elementary School property. U.S. Courthouse and Courtroom Conditions • The Federal Courthouse & Post Office building is located at 424 Kansas Street in downtown Topeka. • It no longer functions as a federal courthouse, but still has active post office facilities on the first floor. Offices on the second and third floors are largely vacant. • The courtroom retains much of its wall finishings and some details, but it is no longer used as a courtroom. The courtroom has good acoustics. • This historic courtroom is currently accessible to visitors but there are no directions or interpretive signs. • The building exterior has not changed substantially since 1951. Trends • The building will soon leave federal ownership and management—the U.S. Postal Service notified the City of Topeka in early 2014 that it intends to sell the building and associated parking lot via the General Services Administration. • The Kansas State Historic Preservation Office has a preservation covenant on the Federal Courthouse & Post Office that will be transferred with the property upon sale. It would require a new owner to restore, maintain, and preserve both the exterior and interior character-defining features. • Many groups in town are key to ensuring the building retains integrity through potential ownership and use change. • Soon there will be a wayside in front of the courthouse interpreting the building’s role as a venue for the local Brown v. Board of Education case and the decision there that sent it to the U.S. Supreme Court. Threats • Depending on new use and ownership after sale, access to the courtroom could be limited. Opportunities • There is the potential for interpretation in the courtroom. • There is the potential for an access easement; the park could try to collaborate with potential new owners to use or lease the space for interpretation and programs. The park could facilitate compatible use by a third party such as Washburn Law School. • A perpetual easement on the interior of the courtroom could be established. • There is the potential to use portions of historic finishes in exhibits at the Monroe Elementary School if the new owners do not intend to retain them. • The building is a possible venue for visits from school groups for interpretive programs. • The building could be used for court reenactments or used by debate teams. • The building may be eligible for the Historic Surplus Property Program. This program makes historic properties available to other government entities at no cost, for cultural, historic, public, or preservation use. Treatment must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s standards, and use must be compatible with the building. • Downtown revival work on Kansas Avenue could feed new visitors to the park, expanding connections between the courthouse and the park. Midwest Region Region Foundation Document Recommendation Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site August 2017 This Foundation Document has been prepared as a collaborative effort between park and regional staff and is recommended for approval by the Midwest Regional Director. RECOMMENDED Sherda Williams, Superintendent, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site Date APPROVED Cameron H. Sholly, Regional Director, Midwest Region Date As the nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering sound use of our land and water resources; protecting our fish, wildlife, and biological diversity; preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historic places; and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to ensure that their development is in the best interests of all our people by encouraging stewardship and citizen participation in their care. The department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in island territories under U.S. administration. BRVB 462/133301 August 2017 Foundation Document • Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR |
Last updated: May 24, 2023