Linda Brown, who is best known as the little girl at the epicenter of the ground-breaking Supreme Court decision that ended school segregation, has died today at the age of 76 years old. The story is still developing, but we do know that Brown’s sister, Cheryl Brown Henderson (President of the Brown Foundation), confirmed her death, but would not provide any details yet. The Peaceful Rest Funeral Chapel of Topeka will be handling Linda Brown’s funeral arrangements.
The irony of Linda Brown’s passing at a time like this, where young people are protesting all over the country demanding their rights to be protected in schools throughout America, is timely. Linda and her family left us with a legacy that would forever affect African-American communities and schools across the country. This family, along with 12 others took their civil rights protests to a new level back in the 50’s, can changed this country’s dynamics forever.
As a child, Linda’s father tried to enroll his children in Sumner School, an all-white institution. Linda and her family grew up in a diverse neighborhood. Due to segregation, Linda was forced to walk across railroad tracks, and take a bus in order to get to school; despite there was a school four blocks from her home.
In 1950, the NAACP asked a group of black families to enroll their children in all-white schools, knowing they would be turned away. Linda’s dad Oliver attempted to enroll his daughter in the third grade. This was one of many strategies for blacks during the civil rights movement, and it launched civil rights groups to file a lawsuit on behalf of 13 families in different states who had attempted to enroll their children in white schools. Because names were written in alphabetical order, Brown’s name was listed as the first of 13 defendants, and the case would forever be known as Brown v. Board of Education; the 1954 ruling that struck down racial segregation in schools.
Though the black community still debates whether integration was a positive step for traditionally back communities, the Brown family must be remembered for taking a stand during a time where being a black and speaking out was dangerous. Democratic Rep. Annie Kuether from Topeka stated, “We are to be grateful for the family that stood up for what is right. That made a difference to the rest of the world.“
Source: Topeka Capital Journal
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