News Release

Meet John Brown and Explore the Battle of Black Jack at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site

Date: March 30, 2011

Release date: March 30, 2011
Contact: Justin Sochacki
Phone number: [phone]

Topeka, KS – On June 2, 1856 abolitionist John Brown led his free-state militia in a victorious attack on the camp of a pro-slavery force in eastern Kansas. While the Civil War officially began on April 12, 1861 when Confederate artillery opened fire on Fort Sumter, South Carolina, some consider the 1856 Battle of Black Jack to be the first fight of the Civil War. From April 1-29, the park will host a new traveling exhibit entitled The Battle of Black Jack. On April 17, Kansas native Kerry Altenbernd will portray the fiery abolitionist John Brown and share the battle's history in a free public program at 3 p.m. at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site.

Kerry Altenbernd, portraying the abolitionist John Brown, will tell the history of the Battle of Black Jack, how it fit into Brown's life story, and its place in the war on slavery. Afterwards, Altenbernd will discuss the effect of the battle on American history, as well as the current preservation activities for the Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park. Altenbernd is a third generation native of Douglas County, Kansas. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Black Jack Battlefield Trust since its creation in 2003 and is currently the Tour Coordinator for the Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park. He is also actively involved with the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area and has been performing first-person interpretations of John Brown since 2006.

Created by the Black Jack Battlefield Trust, The Battle of Black Jack exhibit opens with an exploration of the lives of John Brown and the leader of the pro-slavery force, Henry Clay Pate, as well as the men who fought beside them. It also explores the territory surrounding the battlefield and its use as part of the Santa Fe Trail, and the story of battle veteran Robert Hall Pearson's return to farm the area. The exhibit is free and open to the public daily through April 29.

The program and exhibit are cosponsored by Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, Western National Parks Association, and the Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research, and are part of the 2010-2011 program series titled Commemorating Our Nation's Struggle for Freedom: From Civil War to Civil Rights. For a list of all events and exhibits in the annual program series, please visit www.nps.gov/brvb and click on the Special Events link. To RSVP for the John Brown event on April 17, please e-mail the Brown Foundation by clicking here or call [phone] before April 15.

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.