Linda Brown, the Topeka, Kansas, student who was a focal point of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision desegregating schools, died on March 25. She was 76 years old.
Linda Brown was remembered in a statement from Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer recently: “Sixty-four years ago a young girl from Topeka, Kansas sparked a case that ended segregation in public schools in America. Linda Brown’s life reminds us that by standing up for our principles and serving our communities we can truly change the world. Linda’s legacy is a crucial part of the American story and continues to inspire the millions who have realized the American dream because of her.”
Colyer ordered flags to be flown at half-staff from Wednesday, March 28, through sundown Friday, March 30, to honor Linda Brown.
Brown’s case was consolidated with others throughout the nation and it made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1954 outlawed the segregation of schools.
Today there is a Brown vs. Board of Education national historic site in Topeka. To learn more about it, visit
https://www.nps.gov/brvb/learn/historyculture/kansas.htm.