TOPEKA, Kan. – Half a century after the Supreme Court ruled that the segregated education at Monroe School was unconstitutional, thousands gathered Monday to celebrate the building’s transformation into a monument to the decision.
“They’ve got museums for everything else,” said Sharon Keyes, a 16-year-old student at Topeka High School. “Now, we can have something about us.”
The approximately $11.3 million site opened Monday – the 50th anniversary of the ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education that overturned segregated education. A large crowd and dignitaries from across the country gathered at the formal opening ceremony.
They were challenged not to let the lessons of the day fade after the anniversary passes.
“We must work every day to bring life and breathe life into the Brown decision,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat who is chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. “It is not enough to celebrate.”
Monroe Elementary School, now the Brown vs. Board of Education National Historic Site, is the former school of 9-year-old Linda Brown, the daughter of the lead plaintiff, the Rev. Oliver Brown.
The story began in 1951 when several black families in Topeka tried to enroll their children in white schools near their homes and their requests were denied. Thirteen black families became plaintiffs in a case filed in federal district court in Topeka.
School desegregation cases from Virginia, South Carolina and Delaware were also appealed to the Supreme Court and decided collectively as Brown. A similar segregation case from Washington, D.C., was decided at the same time in a separate ruling.
The center also devotes space to teaching visitors about the civil rights movement before and after the rulings.
“This story is not just about Linda Brown,” said LaTonya Miller, spokeswoman and education director for the site. “For too long, the myth has been perpetuated that it’s been about her.”
The school’s former auditorium is filled with large photos of civil rights leaders, including Thurgood Marshall and Frederick Douglass.
In a nearby gallery, visitors walk through the “Tunnel of Courage,” with its period footage of jeering crowds. There is also a mini-theater where visitors can view a film about the importance of education in the black community.
Meanwhile, President Bush and Democratic rival John Kerry found agreement Monday on the point that America still falls short of racial equality despite progress across many fronts.
“The habits of racism in America have not all been broken,” Bush said outside the Monroe Elementary School building in Topeka. “The habits of respect must be taught to every generation.”
Kerry, several hours earlier and several blocks away, stood on the steps of the Kansas state Capitol and said, “We have to defend the progress that has been made, but we also have to move the cause forward.” He blamed many persistent problems on the Bush administration.
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