Topeka newspaper announces U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board, which ruled that segregation laws were unconstitutional.
First, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback apologized to Native Americans for ill treatment at the hands of white Americans. Now, the governor is preparing to issue an apology to African Americans for years of segregation. Brownback will hold a proclamation signing ceremony tomorrow (THUR) morning, in which he will formally apologize to the African Americans of Kansas for years of segregation laws in the state. The event will also recognize the 58th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education case. The unanimous 1954 decision struck down the “separate but equal” justification for segregation in public schools. That decision was a landmark for civil rights, ending the federal government’s endorsement of segregation. Kansas African American Affairs Commission (KAAAC) Chairman Deborah Dandridge and KAAAC Executive Director Mildred Edwards are among those who will join the Governor for the event at Brownback's statehouse office.