Last month, The Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research, and the Brown v. Board Anniversary Coalition commemorated 72 years since the ruling in the Brown v. Board of Education case. Under the theme “ensuring our nation’s contract with its constituency serves justice for all”, attendees were able to network and reflect on the historic impact the case had on the African American community and society as a whole.
Held in downtown Topeka, Kansas, this banquet-style occasion was laced in blue and gold decor. It opened with a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” with opening remarks from the president of The Brown Foundation, Cheryl Brown Henderson.
“As we gather to mark this anniversary, we do so with a sense of both pride and urgency. Having Ben Crump and J. Ivy join us to lift their voices in this space is deeply meaningful. Mr. Crump has spent his career ensuring the promise of Brown is not forgotten in our courtrooms, and J. Ivy reminds us that art and poetry have always been instruments of justice. Together, they embody the spirit of this commemoration, offering a moment of reflection and, more importantly, a call to action. The work my father and so many others began is not finished. It is ours to carry forward,” says Cheryl Brown Henderson, president of The Brown Foundation.
Honorees for this year’s gala included Victoria Lawton Benson, who was a child plaintiff in Brown v. Board, and Leola Brown Montgomery, the wife of Rev. Oliver Brown, and who was the lead plaintiff in the Brown v. Board case.
The evening was ignited by a spoken word performance featuring Grammy award-winning poet J. Ivy. He was introduced by Monique Pittman-Lui, who serves as chair of the event planning committee for the organization. Ivy’s poem emphasized the impact of African Americans in history and the light that the community continues to possess despite efforts on oppression and discrediting. Soon after, attorney Pedro Irigonegaray introduced attorney Ben Crump. “Attorney Crump has become one of the most visible civil rights lawyers of our generation. … Like the lawyers who were involved with Brown v. Board, Mr. Crump knows that the law shapes whether communities are protected or destroyed,” Irigonegaray expressed while drawing a correlation between Crump’s legal work and that of the 1950s NAACP legal team. The evening closed with almost 400 attendees from across the state of Kansas and other surrounding areas.
“We must make sure our young lambs are well armed with intellect, diplomacy, and strategic thinking. Because if you forget everything I say this evening, I want you to remember this one thing—that the enemies of equality will not win this war in the struggle for liberty and justice for all, as long as we make sure that our children are more intelligent than those who will seek to oppress them,” Crump expressed in his keynote address. He continued on to echo encouragement from forebearers such as Frederick Douglas and Martin Luther King, Jr. who actively advocated for the rights that we benefit from today. Crump’s passionate words were etched in the hearts of attendees.
Beyond this event, The Brown Foundation continues its work for educational equity and civil rights through cultural programming and community engagement. Through these efforts, they’ve been able to display and serve true to their promise of Brown being continuously renewed through investment in educators and local communities. Meanwhile, the coalition works hand-in-hand with the foundation to provide commemorative events, such as this one, to honor the legacy of the Brown v. Board decision.