It has actually been almost 62 years because the U.S. Best Court decision in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case, yet Topeka resident Leola Brown-Montgomery remembers it well.
Brown-Montgomery, the wife of plaintiff Oliver Brown, is modest once talking regarding her role in the landmark ruling that ended segregation in public schools. However, while her husband joined the foreground in the case bearing his name, she was constantly involved and helped him or her make decisions, including whether to take portion in the lawsuit.
Now a spry 94-year-old, Brown-Montgomery looks and acts decades younger. She shops and cleans for herself, goes on senior outings and loves to travel. She went to Washington, D.C., last May.
Her Topeka residence is filled along with memorabilia: a wall hanging of the plaintiffs and attorneys in the historic desegregation case; pictures of herself along with legendary civil rights activist Rosa Parks and President Barack Obama; Christmas cards from the White House.
She has actually met four U.S. presidents, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, and South Africa president Nelson Mandela throughout a quest to Africa.
Q: Was there one particular incident that led to the lawsuit, or did you merely feel it was wrong for your daughters to be treated differently compared to white children?
Brown-Montgomery: We felt it was unfair for our daughters to have actually to walk 5 blocks through a rail backyard to travel 2½ miles by bus to grab to school once there was a school simply four blocks from us. He (Oliver Brown) tried to enroll them at the school nearby, yet the principal told us it simply wasn’t done. The local NAACP encouraged us to file the fulfill then brought the national NAACP office in to help.
Q: Was it a sturdy decision to make? Were you worried regarding exactly what troubles it could produce for your family?
Brown-Montgomery: We were concerned in the beginning, yet it was something we had to do.
Q: And were there problems?
Brown-Montgomery: Not really. One woman asked us exactly what we believed we were doing, since if schools became integrated no one would certainly want black teachers educating their youngsters so they would certainly be fired. One teacher did grab a letter from her school board telling her if we won the case she wouldn’t have actually a job. She quit and moved to Denver to teach. yet I don’t believe anybody did grab fired as a result of it. After the ruling, one individual said they had a strange automobile circling their block over and over, yet nothing came of it.
Q: exactly what regarding your girls — was it difficult for them to be accepted at school?
Brown-Montgomery: There Might have actually been a couple of times where a person said something mean, yet they were able to settle in and make friends. We were so blessed to live in Topeka. There were some locations where points got so inadequate they had to shut down schools for a year, yet not here.
Q: Did you ever dream, once you filed the case, regarding Exactly how points would certainly adjustment in various other methods for black people?
Brown-Montgomery: We had no tip it would certainly make such a difference. yet to eventually go from being earned to feel we were second-class citizens where we couldn’t consume at white bistros or remain in hotels, although all of the maids were black, to being able to go, consume and sit where we wanted … It was a actual victory. We still have actually a methods to go, though.
Q: To combat racism?
Brown-Montgomery: Why, yes. There’s still prejudice. Sadly, some individuals simply don’t accept change.
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