News Release

Tweeting History: National Park Service Re-Enacts 1954 Desegregation Decision

Date: May 15, 2014
Contact: Clayton Calder, 785-354-4273

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of what some have called the most important US Supreme Court decision of the 20th century, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site is proud to announce a Twitter re-enactment of the Brown v. Board of Education decision and the national reaction that followed.

The re-enactment will take place on Saturday, May 17 and Sunday May 18, 2014 between 9 am and 5 pm. To get the whole story, follow the hashtag #Brown1954. We've created dozens of "characters," from US Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren (@SC_CJ_EWarren54), to the vehemently pro-segregationist Governor Herman Talmadge of Georgia (@GovTalmadge54), from churches to citizens on the street, from the Jackson Daily News out of Mississippi (@Jackson_Daily54) to the New York Times (@NY_Times1954). Each of these voices will tweet facts, opinions, or analysis from 1954 drawn from primary sources of the day.

The Twitter feed on May 17 will focus on the heart of the decision itself, beginning with speculation among the US Supreme Court clerks, peaking with excerpts from Chief Justice Warren's reading of the Brown decision mid-day, and ending with some of the immediate reactions from the press. On May 18, the feed will capture reactions from people, organizations, and newspapers from the north, south and west of the United States that occurred in the month following the decision. Until 3 pm, the content will be from May 18 itself, after 3 pm, followers will hear the response from the weeks after May 18.

The park's official Twitter feed @BRVB_NHS will re-tweet an abridged version of the re-enactment on both days. All of the content in this re-enactment comes from direct quotes pulled from primary sources, but it has been lightly "translated" into a format that fits the Twitter platform.

We are eager to hear your response to this re-enactment! Tweet back using #Brown1954Response or email us at [e-mail].

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 am to 5 pm daily. The site is open daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. For more information call 785-354-4273 or visit www.nps.gov/brvb and www.facebook.com/brownvboardnps.