Linda Carol Brown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Linda Carol Brown
|
|
|---|---|
Linda Brown in 1964
|
|
| Born | February 20, 1943 |
| Died | March 25, 2018 (aged 75) Topeka, Kansas
|
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Linda Carol Smith Linda Carol Thompson |
| Known for | Brown v. Board of Education |
Linda Carol Brown (February 20, 1943 – March 25, 2018) was an American who fought for equal education. When she was a schoolgirl in 1954, Linda Brown became the main person in a very important United States civil rights case called Brown v. Board of Education.
At that time, Linda was in third grade. She wanted to go to Sumner School in Topeka, Kansas, which was close to her home. But she was not allowed to enroll there because she was Black. Her family's lawsuit against separating students by race in schools was successful. The Supreme Court's decision changed a rule that said schools could be "separate but equal." This rule had been set in an earlier case called Plessy v. Ferguson. Linda Brown later became a teacher and continued to work for civil rights.
Contents
Linda Brown's Early Life and Schooling
Linda Brown was born in Topeka, Kansas, on February 20, 1943. She was the oldest of three daughters. Her parents were Leola and Oliver Brown. Her father, Oliver Brown, worked as a welder and was also a pastor.
The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) asked Linda's parents to try and enroll her in Sumner Elementary School. This school was very close to their home. When Linda was denied admission because of her race, her family was able to join a group of lawsuits. The NAACP helped coordinate and support these cases.
Eventually, these lawsuits were combined and heard by the US Supreme Court. The case became known as Brown v. Board of Education. The Brown family's name was listed first because their last name started with "B," which came first alphabetically among the families suing. Even though the Supreme Court decided that Linda had the right to attend a non-segregated school, she never went to Sumner. By the time the decision was made in 1954, Linda was already in junior high school. After the ruling, reporters often bothered Linda. She later went to Washburn University and Kansas State University.
The Landmark Brown v. Board of Education Case
Before the Brown v. Board of Education case, schools for Black students often had very poor conditions. Many Black children went to schools that did not have basic things like running water or good classrooms. However, an old rule from the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision said that schools could be separate for different races as long as they offered the same things.
The NAACP wanted to make the government fix the big differences between schools. So, they filed lawsuits in different parts of the country. They hoped one of these cases would reach the Supreme Court. In Topeka, the NAACP found 13 families who were willing to try and enroll their children in schools that were not segregated.
Linda Brown attended Monroe Elementary, which was a segregated school over a mile from her home. Sumner Elementary, a white school, was only six blocks away. After her parents were not allowed to enroll her at Sumner, they joined the NAACP's lawsuit.
The Browns actually liked Monroe Elementary. Linda's mother had gone there, and they liked the teachers and the school environment. At that time, many talented Black college graduates could not find jobs in many fields because of racial barriers. So, many of them became teachers in Black schools. Because of the excellent teachers at Monroe, the Browns were happy with the school. But they changed their minds because they believed they should have the choice to send Linda to Sumner if they wanted to.
During the trial, a court in Kansas said that the teachers in Black schools were just as good as those in white schools. They also said that the school lessons were the same in all Topeka schools. The court noted that Black children often had to travel much farther to school. However, the school district provided free bus service for Black children, which was not given to white children.
The NAACP disagreed with this decision and appealed it. The case then went to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court overturned the earlier decision. They ruled that "separate but equal" schools were against the 5th Amendment (due process) and the 14th Amendment (equal protection under the law). This meant that separating students by race in public schools was unconstitutional, or against the law.
Linda Brown's Later Life and Work
Throughout her life, Linda Brown kept working for equal access to education in Kansas. She worked as a teacher for the Head Start program. She also worked for the Brown Foundation, which supports the legacy of the Brown v. Board of Education case. Linda was a public speaker and an education consultant.
Linda Brown had two children, Charles and Kimberley, from her first marriage. She later had grandsons named C. Andrew Smith III, Donnell Smith, and Lawrence Smith.
In 1979, Linda Brown's own children were attending schools in Topeka. She believed that segregation was still happening in some ways. So, she reopened her case against the Kansas Board of Education. An appeals court agreed with her in 1993.
Linda Brown's Lasting Impact
Linda Brown's work in law and education had a lasting impact. Both Sumner School (the white-only school she wanted to attend) and Monroe Elementary (the segregated school she went to) have been declared historic landmarks. She is seen as a symbol of the fight for African-American equality. In 1992, Monroe Elementary was made a national historic site.
Death
Linda Brown passed away in her hometown of Topeka on March 25, 2018. Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer honored her. He tweeted, "Sixty-four years ago a young girl from Topeka brought a case that ended segregation in public schools in America." He added, "Linda Brown's life reminds us that sometimes the most unlikely people can have an incredible impact and that by serving our community we can truly change the world."
See also
In Spanish: Linda Brown para niños
