The Brown v. Board of Education National Historic
Site has much to offer visitors interested in the history of civil rights. It is located in the former Monroe Elementary School, one of four segregated elementary
schools established for African Americans in Topeka, Kansas, and it is the only national park named after a United States Supreme Court case. Visitors learn how Brown v. Board of Education
ended legal segregation in public schools and how “the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently
unequal.”
Exhibits detail the history of segregation in America, the Brown v. Board of Education court decision, and the legacy of the the case throughout the world. A restored early 1950s
kindergarten classroom serves as a place for families to connect to history. Artifacts in the classroom, such as a flag with 48 stars, help visitors compare and contrast the classroom to
their own memories of kindergarten. I happened to visit the same day as a student who attended the school in the 1950s. It was fascinating to listen to her reminisce about the
original classrooms and routines.
To learn more about this historic site, including curriculum-based
education programs, visit the Brown v. Board of Education website.
