Brown v. Board at 70 conference will explore legacy of landmark decision
LAWRENCE — In celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, the University of Kansas and the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park, Topeka, will host an event series and conference exploring the legacy of the landmark decision, which outlawed racial segregation in schools.
Brown v. Board at 70: Looking Back and Striving Forward will take place April 18-19 on the KU Lawrence campus, with a tour and community discussion at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park in Topeka.
The conference will feature an Emily Taylor & Marilyn Stokstad Women's Leadership Lecture Keynote Address by Sherrilyn Ifill, lawyer and the Vernon E. Jordan Jr. Esq. Endowed Chair in Civil Rights at Howard University. Other events include an opening dinner and address from Charise Cheney, associate professor of Indigenous, race and ethnic studies at the University of Oregon, at the Jayhawk Welcome Center and conference sessions at the Burge Union. Transportation will be provided to the Topeka tour.
"We are proud to commemorate the 70th anniversary landmark U.S. Supreme Court 1954 Brown decision in collaboration with our colleagues at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park,” said Rick Ginsberg, dean of the School of Education & Human Sciences. “The decision altered the course of American history, and the implications and goals of the decision remain significant for today’s context.”
The event is free and open to the public, but online registration is required by April 5. Interested individuals are encouraged to RSVP now. All conference sessions April 19 at the Burge Union will be available to watch via livestream on the event website, which also includes a full list of speakers and schedule.
The conference is sponsored by KU and the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park in Topeka, a division of the National Park Service, with support from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, KU Lawrence campus schools, KU Libraries and the Hall Center for the Humanities.