News Release

Forging Freedom's Pathway: Living History Walks from Ritchie House to Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site on June 11

Date: May 29, 2011

Date: May 29, 2011
Contact: Justin Sochacki
Phone number: [phone]

Topeka, KS – From conflicts leading to the Civil War to the birth of the civil rights movement, Topeka has played a central role. As part of Savor Topeka, all are invited to attend a free living history walk from the John Ritchie House to Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site on Saturday, June 11. The walks will feature living history reenactors from territorial Kansas through the historic Brown decision, who will portray evolving views of race and freedom that developed in Kansas. The walks will begin at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site at 9:00 a.m. with the final walk departing at 11:30 a.m.

Walks will begin at the Brown site, where participants will ride a free shuttle to the Ritchie House, and walk the half-mile back, stopping with a park ranger along the way to meet characters from 1854 to 1954. Shuttles and tour groups will depart approximately every 15 minutes. Space is limited and tours are first-come, first-served. Two musical groups will alternate performances at the event. Civil War era music will be provided by the Kaw Valley Cornet Band. An acoustic quartet will provide both Civil War and civil rights era music, including some sing-alongs. Children's activities will also be available at the Brown site.

The Lecompton Reenactors and National Park Service rangers will portray characters including abolitionist John Brown, pro-slavery politician David Rice Atchison, and supporters of racial segregation and integration. These stories and others illustrate the central role Kansas played in the emergence of both the Civil War and the civil rights movement.

The program is sponsored by Shawnee County Historical Society, the Lecompton Reenactors, Western National Parks Association, Visit Topeka, and the National Park Service. For a list of all events and exhibits, please visit www.nps.gov/brvb.

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 [phone].