Brown vs. Board

Brown vs. Board

The Kinsey African American Art and History Collection has an incredibly broad range of objects and art to take in. My favorite item in the collection is the signed decision letter for Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. This document, unanimously approved and signed by the Supreme Court Justices holds special significance for me.

This past September marked the 60-year anniversary of the integration of Little Rock Central High School. Our exhibit Mandela: The Journey to Ubuntu opened at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock the same weekend as this important anniversary. Several members of the Little Rock Nine attended the exhibit opening and the following day there was a ceremony in the auditorium of the high school commemorating their courageous actions 60 years prior.

Each of the surviving eight students spoke, reflecting on their experiences at Central. It was one of those rare times that you realize you are living in a moment of historic significance. Hearing those brave eight individuals speak in that auditorium was one of the most impactful experiences of my life. It may well be the most important moment I ever witness. Two months after returning home from that trip, we began the installation of the Kinsey Collection. Holding the document that allowed those nine brave students access to Little Rock Central, the gravity of the piece was not lost on me. This document is here in our gallery, an unassuming 8.5” x 11” piece of paper with five signatures that forever changed the course of American history, the lives of the Little Rock Nine and every student that followed.

#28DaysofKinsey

Jesse Kramer
Creative Director
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center