Last Friday, Sept. 19, Mrs. Sigel’s Eng 10 classes visited the Brown vs. Board of Education Museum in Topeka. The class had just finished reading “Animal Farm” by George Orwell, and students were expected to connect similar themes such as abuse of power, segregation, and the power of persuasive speech. Ultimately, the trip highlighted how history and literature reflect universal struggles for justice and equality.
The 90-minute tour was led by Ranger Lawson Nwakudo, who wanted students to come away with the message that “this museum stands for hope.” Brown vs Board of Education (1954) was the pivotal Supreme Court ruling that ended segregation in public schools. According to Ranger Nwakudo, Kansas was ahead of the curve and had already ended segregation in 1953, as other public places in the state had already been desegregated by that point.
Students came away with another powerful message – that “seperate cannot be equal.”
The trip ended with a stop at Chick-fil-A and Whataburger. Mr. Alley, who retired last year after over 30 years at ACJSHS, was the bus driver for the trip and took the class and chaperones on a driving tour of Topeka past the capitol and other historical sites.
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