News Release

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Speak at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site

Date: September 12, 2012

Contact: Justin Sochacki
Phone: [phone]

Topeka, KS - On September 18, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be the keynote speaker at a public program beginning at 11:45 a.m. at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. The event is free and open to the public.

The program will kick off with a performance by the Topeka High School drumline at approximately 11:45 a.m., followed by the Williams Fine Arts and Science Magnet School choir. Featured speakers will include park superintendent David Smith, Topeka Mayor William Bunten, Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Diane DeBacker, Highland Park High School principal Dr. Beryl New, National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel, and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The presentations will focus on the importance of education as a civil right in the United States.

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 call 785-354-4273 or visit www.nps.gov/brvb and www.facebook.com/brownvboardnps