News Release

Labor Day Festival Draws 1300 Visitors to Park

Date: September 4, 2012

Partnering with the Mid-America Black Expo for "Grant Fest," Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site enjoyed the busiest day in recent memory. Over 1300 visitors enjoyed a range of activities at the park on Saturday.

"Being able to connect with new audiences is such an important part of our function as a National Park. The key to success this weekend's event was finding partners who had proven successful at connecting with new audiences," said park superintendent David Smith. "This is going to become an annual event that we know will serve our community partners and bring people out to the park."

The park provided an expanded Junior Ranger program for the day. Kids earned the park's new Civil War to Civil Rights trading cards by participating in a variety of activities including printmaking, team-building games, and museum activities.

Kids and grown-ups alike enjoyed programs provided by the Topeka Zoo and a visit from the area bookmobile. Former NPS ranger and award winning storyteller Bobby Norfolk entertained all with his dynamic stories. From the Underground Railroad to the Harlem Renaissance to the Negro Leagues, Bobby took visitors through a sweep of African American history. And with rides, food, and live music in the adjacent Cushinberry Park, there was something for everyone in the local community.

The final event of the evening was the premiere of a new film by French filmmaker Fabrice Chiambretto called Barbara Johns: The Making of an Icon. The film focuses on a sixteen year-old high school student that organized and led a walkout in protest of deplorable schools for African American children in Farmville, Virginia. The case became one of the five lawsuits heard by the U.S. Supreme Court that led to the desegregation of public schools in the United States. Any park interested in using the film as an interpretive tool should contact the park.