Topeka, KS - 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

May 2024 represents the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case. Topeka is gearing up for a summer-long civil rights commemoration for 2024 and is committed to making the arts an integral component of that effort.

Placemaking in Topeka will work to shape public spaces to meet the needs and aspirations of the community, capitalizing on physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution. Topeka has a rich cultural heritage.

Through the creation of collaborative and meaningful artwork centered on critical discussion of both the historic and contemporary heritage of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, this project will be the centerpiece of a summer filled with community exploration—a creative, multi-disciplinary, multi-site experience that seeks to create a meaningful conversation about equity and justice.

Topekans want their community to be a more welcoming, connected and vibrant place. Civic leaders and stakeholders are looking to the arts and expertise of artists to engage in meaningful experiences and activities that tell Topeka’s unique story and position that story in relationship to a national conversation on justice & equity.

First and foremost, this summer-long civil rights program is intended to provide residents of Topeka a strong sense of local pride in the city’s important and lasting role in civil rights history. This message is needed as much now as ever.

The project includes a keystone art engagement/experience along with other arts-related programming throughout the summer. These elements appeal to a wide range of audiences including families with children, people from different racial and cultural backgrounds, and people with varying levels of familiarity with the history of Brown v. Board of Education. The art activations recognize how far we’ve come and how far we need to go. This isn’t a Black and white issue - the effects of segregation (and desegregation) have had a deep impact on all people of color, including Indigenous and Latinx communities. The Civil Rights Summer is a chance to expand the narrative.