In Pursuit of Freedom and Equality

In Pursuit of Freedom and Equality: Kansas and the African American Public-School Experience 1855-1955 | library's main hallway | May 2024

The legal victory in Brown v. Board of Education dismantled the legal framework for racial segregation. The Supreme Court's findings were based on the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and thereby set into motion social and political movements that changed the course of history.

View an exciting visual presentation of this history using images and text that share little known facts about events related to the Brown decision. Few people realize that as early as 1849 African Americans fought the system of education in this country that mandated separate schools for their children based solely on race. In many instances these schools were substandard facilities with out-of-date textbooks and often no basic school supplies. Even with limited resources the African American teachers assigned to these schools were dedicated to educating children.

This chronological look at the history of Brown gives you a clear understanding of the efforts challenge the system that denied them access to equal educational opportunity and their basic civil rights.

In Pursuit of Freedom and Equity will be on display at the library until May 31. This traveling exhibit was created and sponsored by The Brown Foundation.