Brown v. Board

The Brown v. Board decision was long overdue. It not only overturned Plessy v. Ferguson’s "separate but equal" and sanctioned public-school integration, it evolved into the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Although the Court's decision was just and moral, its implementation was not, as it placed some African American students' educational well-being in the hands of those who did not want them educated. The immediate and continuing effects of Brown v. Board and the experiences of Black students who received their education during this era in American history is an understudied theme. This is why I have an affinity for oral history, as it fills the void history books omit.
American history tends to avoid documenting Black communities’ educational experiences; therefore, the National Park Service and I are committed to assembling and preserving a collection of local African American history via interviews that depict the lives and diverse experiences of African Americans educated during this era. African American history contains vibrant narratives of joy, hardships, and continued perseverance, yet their accounts often go untold. Society either neglects or presents Black history in a condensed form. Therefore, I am and will continue to be committed to collecting interviews safeguarding African Americans’ contributions and vast experiences in the United States by using oral history to document the unique experiences of individuals in communities like yours.