Video

Fair is Fair Video

Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park

Transcript

Ranger Rachel: Allen! Where have you been? Allen the Eagle: Rachel, I have been to some of the most amazing national parks in this country. First, I visited the Statue of Liberty. Now that is one very tall lady. Rachel: She sure is. Over a hundred feet tall. Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was given to America as a gift of friendship from France? Allen: A gift? I bet they needed a really big bow. Rachel: I don’t know about that. But I do know that the Statue of Liberty stands for a really big idea. Freedom. So where else have you been? Allen: Well, cowpoke, they told me, “Go west, young eagle, go west!” So I soared on over to South Dakota where I visited Mount Rushmore. I’ll tell ya, those guys don’t talk much. Rachel: Allen, you do know that those figures are carved into the mountain, don’t you? Allen: Ah, carved into the side of the mountain? Yeah, I knew that. Rachel: Mount Rushmore honors four great American leaders: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Allen: Hey, weren’t all those guys president? Rachel: Yes, they were. And they were all very important to the history of our nation. Allen: So, what’s up with this place? Rachel: Well, this is also a national park and it’s very important to the history of our nation. This is the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. Allen: Oh, I hear a story coming on. Rachel: Yes, you do. Not so very long ago, African American children went to school in this very building. Allen: Right here? In this building? Rachel: Yes, Allen. Right here. But going to school here confused some African American kids. Do you know why? Allen: Yeah, I know why. Vegetables! They were confused because parents and teachers are always trying to make you eat your vegetables. Sometimes I don’t want to eat vegetables. Sometimes I only like pizza, or hamburger… Rachel: Allen, it wasn’t because of vegetables. These kids were confused because there were different schools for kids who were African American, kids who were white, and kids who spoke a different language. Allen: What do you mean? Rachel: Well, kids of different races played together in the neighborhoods but when it was time to go to school, they all went to different schools. African American kids, white kids, and kids whose families spoke different languages could not go to school together. Allen: Why? Rachel: Because of segregation. Allen: What do you mean…segregation? Rachel: It was a terrible thing but for a long time in our country, it was against the law for kids of different races to go to school together. Allen: Wait just a minute. Are you telling me that in the United States of America, some kids couldn’t go to school with their friends because their skin was a different color? Rachel: Yes, that’s what I’m telling you. Allen: Well, that’s just not fair! Rachel: You’re absolutely right. That’s not fair. Allen: Somebody needs to do something! Rachel: You’re right again. And somebody did. The parents of the kids who were being treated unfairly stood up as leaders and asked the Supreme Court of the United States to make things right. Allen: So, what happened? Rachel: In a case called Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court said segregation was wrong. They said all kids should be treated equally and fairly as citizens. Allen: Fair is important. Rachel: Yes, very important. Just think about how you’d feel when you’re not treated fairly. Allen: It makes me an awfully sad eagle but it also makes me mad and maybe a little afraid too. Rachel: We don’t want to make anyone feel sad, mad or afraid. Let’s talk about how you show you care about being fair. Rachel singing: Fair is fair Show you care Invite! Be polite! Can I count on you To do what’s right? Fair is fair! Rachel: Here’s the first thing you can do to show you care about being fair. Invite everyone to join in. Including everyone is a great way to show you care about being fair. It’s especially important to include people who might seem a little different from you. Allen: Sometimes, that feels scary. Rachel: I know it does but sometimes being fair means you have to be brave and be a leader. Here’s the thing, if you don’t include people who are different from you, if you don’t invite them to join in, then you’re saying to them you’re not good enough to play with us. Allen: And then they’ll feel sad, and mad, and afraid. Rachel: That’s right. Allen: I’ll bet that’s how those kids felt when they couldn’t go to school with their friends. Rachel singing: Fair is fair Allen singing: Fair is fair Rachel singing: Show you care Allen singing: About being fair Rachel and Allen singing: Invite! Be polite! Can I count on you to do what’s right? Fair is fair! Rachel: There’s another thing you can do to show you care about being fair and that is: be polite. Allen: You mean like saying please and thank you? Rachel: Saying please and thank you are a great start. Nice words like please and thank you are a way you can show kindness and respect to people. When you use nice words, you show you care about being fair. Allen: But sometimes, people use words that aren’t so nice. In fact, they’re really mean. Rachel: Unfortunately, that’s true. Teasing or calling people names can really hurt people’s feelings. Allen: And that’s not fair. Rachel: It certainly isn’t. Allen: Did people call African American kids mean names? Rachel: Well, it’s really sad but African American kids, and kids of different races, were called some very mean names. Allen: I’ll bet they felt bad. Rachel: I’m sure they did. But here’s something I want you to remember. The Supreme Court and the people of the United States believed everyone should be treated fairly. That’s why we have a national park in the school that some of kids attended. This park helps to show that we care about being fair. So I want you to sing along with me now. Rachel singing: Fair is fair Allen singing: Fair is fair Rachel singing: Show you care Allen singing: About being fair Rachel and Allen singing: Invite! Be polite! Can I count on you to do what’s right? Fair is fair!

Descriptive Transcript

Fair is Fair AD


0:01
The Statue of Liberty sits on its 10 point star pedestal on Liberty Island, a bald eagle stuffed animal flapping its wings as it swoops over the statue.


0:15
The eagle flies over red and tan stratified canyons and swoops down to Mount Rushmore.


0:23
Smooth faces pointed at different angles are carved in a row on a mountain.


0:27
He passes Abraham Lincoln's face.


0:35
The eagle known as Allen, perches on a brick sign for the Brown versus Board of Education National Historic Site.


0:41
Rachel, a park Ranger in uniform walk is toward Allen.


0:45
A multi story brick building is in the background.


0:47
Allen, where have you been?


0:50
Rachel, I've been to some of the most amazing national parks in this country.


0:56
First I visited the Statue of Liberty.


1:00
Now that is 1 very tall lady.


1:03
Fireworks are displayed behind the statue.


1:05
She sure is over 100 feet tall.


1:09
Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was given to America as a gift of friendship from France?


1:14
A gift.


1:16
I bet they needed a really big bow.


1:18
A large red tide ribbon pops up around the statue.


1:22
I don't know about that, but I do know that the Statue of Liberty stands for a really big idea, Freedom.


1:30
Alan swoops down and perches on a stair banister outside a stone building as Rachel walks up.


1:36
So where else have you been?


1:37
Well, cow poke, they told me.


1:40
Go West, young eagle, go West.


1:44
So I soared on over to South Dakota where I visited Mount Rushmore.


1:50
I'll tell you, those guys don't talk much.


1:53
Alan, you do know that those figures are carved into the mountain, don't you?


1:59
Carved into the side of the mountain?


2:01
Yeah.


2:02
I knew that.


2:04
Mount Rushmore honors 4 Great American leaders.


2:07
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.


2:12
Hey, weren't all those guys president?


2:15
Yes, they were.


2:16
And they were all very important to the history of our nation.


2:21
So what's up with this place?


2:23
Well, this is also a National Park and it's very important to the history of our nation.


2:28
This is the Brown versus Board of Education National Historic site.


2:33
Uh oh, I hear a story coming on.


2:35
Yes, you do.


2:39
Not so very long ago, African American children went to school in this very building.


2:46
Black and white photos of children are displayed in front of a hall with signs labeled white on one side and colored on the other.


2:53
Right here in this building.


2:55
Yes, Alan, right here.


2:58
But going to school here confused some African American kids.


3:01
Do you know why?


3:04
Alan swoops down the hall and perches on the banister on the bottom of a stairwell as Rachel walks up.


3:09
Yeah, I know why.


3:10
Vegetables.


3:11
They were confused because parents and teachers are always trying to make you eat your vegetables.


3:15
Sometimes I don't want to eat vegetables.


3:17
Sometimes I only like pizza or hamburger.


3:19
Sometimes.


3:19
Alan, it wasn't because of vegetables.


3:22
These kids were confused because there were different schools for kids who are African American, kids who are white, and kids who spoke a different language.


3:31
What do you mean?


3:32
Well, kids of different races played together in neighborhoods, but when it was time to go to school, they all went to different schools.


3:41
African American kids, white kids, and kids whose families spoke different languages could not go to school together.


3:49
Why?


3:50
Because of segregation?


3:53
What do you mean segregation?


3:55
It was a terrible thing.


3:56
But for a long time in our country, it was against the law for kids of different races to go to school together.


4:04
Two photos, including one with a white teacher and students and another of an African American teacher and students.


4:10
Allen is perched on a wall chair rail in another room with a fireplace next to Rachel.


4:15
Wait just a minute.


4:16
Are you telling me that in the United States of America, some kids couldn't go to school with their friends because their skin was a different color?


4:27
Yes, that's what I'm telling you.


4:29
Well, that's just not fair.


4:31
You're absolutely right.


4:33
That's not fair.


4:34
Somebody needs to do something.


4:36
You're right again.


4:37
And somebody did.


4:40
Black and white photos of African American men and women standing side by side.


4:44
The parents of the kids who are being treated unfairly stood up as leaders and asked the Supreme Court of the United States to make things right.


4:52
White and African American men stand together in suits standing on a stone step.


4:57
So what happened in a case called Brown versus the Board of Education, the Supreme Court said segregation was wrong.


5:05
The State Journal newspaper is titled school segregation band.


5:09
They said all kids should be treated equally and fairly as citizens.


5:13
A photo of young African American men and women stand side by side in a group.


5:18
Alan and Rachel are at the top of the staircase.


5:21
Yes, very important.


5:22
Just think about how you feel when you're not treated fairly.


5:26
It makes me an awfully sad eagle, but it also makes me mad and maybe a little afraid too.


5:34
We don't want to make anyone feel sad, mad or afraid.


5:38
So let's talk about how you show you care about being fair.


5:44
Rachel is singing as children's artwork is passing behind her.


5:47
Fair is fair.


5:50
Show you care.


5:53
Invite, be polite.


5:56
Can I count on you to do what's right?


5:58
Fair is fair.


6:03
Children are drawing with chalk on the pavement.


6:06
Here's the first thing you can do to show you care about being fair.


6:10
Invite everyone to join in.


6:12
Two children are playing baseball.


6:14
African American and white children sitting on a wheelbarrow.


6:18
Including everyone is a great way to show you care about being fair.


6:24
It's especially important to include people who might seem a little different from you.


6:28
A girl with a cane and a boy with dark skin and natural hair.


6:33
Sometimes that feels scary.


6:36
I know it does.


6:37
But sometimes being fair means you have to be brave and be a leader.


6:42
Here's the thing.


6:43
If you don't include people who are different from you, if you don't invite them to join in, then you're saying to them you're not good enough to play with us.


6:51
And then they'll feel sad and mad and afraid.


6:56
That's right, I'll bet that's how those kids felt when they couldn't go to school with their friends.


7:02
Rachel and Alan are singing in front of more children's artwork of different people together.


7:23
Alan is perched on a water fountain next to Rachel in the hall.


7:27
There's another thing you can do to show you care about being fair, and that is be polite.


7:33
You mean like say please and thank you?


7:37
Please and thank you are a great start.


7:40
Nice words like please and thank you are a way you can show kindness and respect for other people.


7:47
When you use nice words, you show you care about being fair.


7:52
But sometimes people use words that aren't so nice.


7:56
In fact, they're really mean.


7:59
Unfortunately, that's true.


8:01
Teasing or calling people names can really hurt people's feelings.


8:04
And that's not fair.


8:06
It certainly isn't.


8:08
Did people call African American kids mean names?


8:12
Well Alan, it's really sad, but African American kids and kids of different races were called some very mean names.


8:20
Images of different upset, angry, down and straight faced people.


8:24
I'll bet they felt bad.


8:26
I'm sure they did.


8:28
But here's something I want you to remember.


8:30
Rachel and Allen are standing in front of a stone faced building door.


8:34
The Supreme Court and the people of the United States believe everyone should be treated fairly.


8:40
That's why we have a National Park in the school that some of the kids attended.


8:45
This park helps us show that we care about being fair.


8:50
So I want you to sing along with me now.


8:52
There is fair.


8:54
There is fair.


9:00
Invite, be polite.


9:02
You can count on me to do what's right.


9:04
There is fair.


9:14
Thanks for visiting the Brown versus Board of Education historic site. National Park Service logo.

Description

This 10–12-minute educational video is targeted to pre-school and early primary grade children. It is designed to convey, in an age-appropriate manner, the major themes of fairness, respect, courtesy, and getting along with others encompassed in the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Duration

7 minutes, 59 seconds

Credit

Brown v. Board of Education NHS and Brown Foundation

Copyright and Usage Info