Civil Rights On a Snowy Day

Monroe Elementary School, Brown v. Board of Education Historic Site, Photo by Ben Faires

I recently went to the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site to learn a little more about the rich history of Topeka. I thought it was a perfect place to go on a cold snowy day. The building is located just south of Downtown Topeka at 1515 SE Monroe St. The Historic site is free to everyone, which is a bonus, and is open 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. everyday. The sad part is that a large majority of Local Topekans have never been to the site, I hope that this post helps to get some of those locals out there, even if it's just a few. 

The site is actual located in the Monroe Elementary School building, which was 1 of 4 all African American schools here in Topeka. When you first walk in you are greeted by a National Park Ranger that will tell you a little about the building and what exhibits are there. Sometimes there are exhibits on the 2nd floor that are rotated in and out, at the time I went there was only the permanent exhibits. There are two wings in the building a North wing, which is on the right when you walk in the building, and a south wing, which is on the left. The North wing exhibit is specifically the Civil Rights movement in the 1950's and 60's. This wing has an extraordinary amount of information, from visuals to quotes and facts.

Photo By: Ben Faires

Photo By: Ben Faires

 The South Wing is the Legacy room, which is partially about the civil rights movement and what came about after the famous court decision. The other part of the this exhibit revolves around another civil rights movement for Native americans.

Photo By: Ben Faires

Photo By: Ben Faires

 Across the Hall from the Legacy exhibit there is a replica of a 1950's kindergarden. This is a neat room to take a look around in to get a feel of what it was like in that room at that time.

Photo By: Ben Faires

The 3rd main exhibit is in the Auditorium. This room is full of symbolic sculptures and above you is a continuously running short film about Brown v. Board and the Civil Rights Movement.

Photo By: Ben Faires

Here is a video that I hope can explain the layout and what each exhibit is at the Brown v. Board of Education Site a little more in detail. The video was created by Talk about Topeka, which is a show sole about the City of Topeka.

I would recommend everyone to take a visit to the Site to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement and Brown v. Board of Education. I would especially recommend it to teachers looking for a great educational field trip. I have had many classes about this specific time period and I still found tons of information I had never heard before.
Thanks for reading,
 Ben Faires

A Little Kansas History

         

Photo Found on: Legends of Kansas

            Since the weather has been so cold here in Topeka as of late, I decided to head to the Kansas Museum of History to warm up. The museum is located in the northwest portion of the city at 6425 Southwest 6th Avenue Topeka, Ks 66615. Doors open up at 9 A.M. and close at 5 P.M. Tuesday through Saturday and from 1 P.M. to 5 P.M. on Sunday. Along with the Museum, the building is also home to the Kansas State Archives which houses more than a centuries worth of historical documents. Here is a link to the Kansas Museum of History web page for more information. 

             I have to say, I was very surprised with this museum. When I first decided to go I wasn't sure what to expect. I have been to museums all over the country, how could our little museum stack up? Having said that, this museum is a fantastic place for any history buff or curious visitor to Kansas and the city of Topeka. When you first enter the exhibit you start in pre-historic Kansas, and through the twists and turns you go through the civil war, the industrial revolution, all the way to modern Kansas. Visiting the museum was a great way to spend an afternoon in the city and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. 

Here are a few pictures from my visit:

Photo By: Ben Faires @ Kansas Museum of History

Photo By: Ben Faires @ Kansas Museum of History

Photo By: Ben Faires @ Kansas Museum of History

Photo By: Ben Faires @ Kansas Museum of History

Photo By: Ben Faires @ Kansas Museum of History