News Release

In Pursuit of Freedom and Equality: Kansas and the African American Public School Experience, 1855-1955

News Release Date: November 8, 2010

Special exhibit from the Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research.

February 1 - 28, 2011
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Free

The legal victory in Brown v. Board of Education dismantled the legal framework for racial segregation. The U.S. Supreme Court's findings were based on the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and thereby set into motion social and political movements that changed the course of history.

This exciting visual presentation uses images and text to share little known facts about the history of the Brown decision. Today few people realize that as early as 1849 African Americans fought the system of education in this country that mandated separate schools for their children based solely on race. In many instances these schools were substandard facilities with out-of-date textbooks and often no basic school supplies. What was not in question was the dedication of the African American teachers assigned to these schools.

This chronological look at the history of Brown leaves the viewer with a clear understanding that efforts still continue across the country to realize the dream of individuals and organizatons that challenged a system that would deny them access to equal educational opportunity and their basic civil rights.

For more information, call Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site at [phone] or email by clicking here. Free and open to the public, daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, 1515 SE Monroe Street, Topeka, Kansas 66612.