Last year (2014) marked the 60th anniversary of the historic decision in "Brown versus the Topeka Board of Education." The Supreme Court ruling led to desegregated schools and, eventually, to a more integrated society in general. To celebrate the anniversary, the Kansas Humanities Council joined with NPR's StoryCorps project to interview area residents about growing up in the town whose name became part of the landmark case. In this third installment of our series, we hear from two lifelong friends. Jack Alexander and Darlene Wilson-Jackson both attended segregated elementary schools but went to integrated junior and senior high schools.
That's Jack Alexander and Darlene Wilson-Jackson, lifelong friends who grew up in Topeka. They took part in a StoryCorps project last year, marking the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Board. During Black History Month and beyond, KPR will be sharing several StoryCorps conversations taped last year in Topeka.
This project was a joint effort of the Kansas Humanities Council, The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library and the Brown v. Board National Historic Site in Topeka.
Click HERE to listen to the Storycorps pieces that have aired so far.