This past week, Linda Brown, of Topeka, KS passed away, at age 75. Linda was a primary figure in the desegregation of schools, in the USA. She was one of 5 or 6 African American children who wanted to go to a white school with their friends. Linda wanted to go to Sumner School in Topeka. Her father tried to take her to school, and she was refused. Eventually, there was a big court case involving the 6 children around the US. Since it was a national case, and Mr. Brown’s name was at the beginning of the alphabet, it became the Brown vs the Board of Education of Topeka, KS. Linda eventually went to Sumner school.
In 1984, my family was living in Wichita. Our son would be starting Kindergarten. In Wichita, they drew names to see which children would be bussed to another school. That was their solution to desegregation.
My husband got the job of General Manager of the Topeka Transit System. We moved and wondered what school our son would go to. It turned out that Topeka didn’t have bussing. They found another solution.
Continue reading “My Connection to the Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, KS”