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The thoughts shared in this article regarding Brown v. the Board of Education come from the vantage point of community and familial relationships. It is gratifying to know that the impending opening of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site will ultimately educate the public about this history. The Brown decision is named for an African American man, who in 1950, along with his wife, was a young parent only thirty-two years old. Although his participation was almost coincidental, the fact remains that it is his name that is attached to what is said to be one of the most pivotal events in U.S. history. The unknowing icon was my father. My biography begins simply, "One of the three children of the late Reverend Oliver L. Brown, namesake of the historic Brown decision…"
Because of my personal relationship to this history, I have the luxury of being more emotional in my reflections and less analytical. Let me begin by clarifying any misnomer that the Brown case was dinnertime conversation in our home. It was not. My father died in 1961, ten years after this suit was filed; seven years after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision and before the media sophistication of court TV. My mother, sisters and I had to become students of Brown just like the rest of the country, in order to learn and understand what took place and why. Having pored over historic documents, photos and published works, there is no question in my mind that this court decision affected the everyday lives of each citizen.
We are excited about the work ahead to convert the old Monroe School building into a state of the art interpretive visitors centers. This school has existed on the corner of 15th and Monroe Streets in various incarnations since 1868. For decades it was a companion to the four segregated schools in Topeka serving the African American community. The current structure holds significance for our family because in 1926 when it was new, my mother began her formal education behind its walls. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, my sisters began their formal education in its classrooms. In the late 1960s, my sister’s children were students there. Finally, our legacy with this building ended when, in 1972, I began my career in education as a sixth grade teacher at Monroe Elementary School.
This old building has been part of our family for three generations. It was a labor of love to have worked with Congress and the U.S. Department of the Interior in creating a place that would stand in tribute to the triumph of the human spirit, when the NAACP decided that citizens would not be denied their basic constitutional rights. When the high court spoke on May 17, 1954 it changed all of us for the better. On February 28, 2001, we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the filing of Brown v. the Board of Education.
Thank you
| « Revisiting Our Past
| Brown v. Board National Historic Site » |