| EXHIBIT AND OPENING RECEPTION TO HONOR BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION DECISION September 16, 2004 SALINA – An exhibit at Kansas State University at Salina, featuring photographs and information about the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education, will open to the public with a reception and speaker on Tuesday, Sept. 28. The historic 1954 Supreme Court decision ended legal segregation of schools in America, but also set into motion social and political movements that changed the course of history. An opening reception and exhibition viewing will begin at 6 p.m. on Sept. 28 in the Technology Center commons, followed by a presentation in the adjacent library by guest speaker Oliver Green. During the reception, there also will be a handmade quilt on display that features all the symbols of the Underground Railroad. Following the opening night, the exhibit will be on display and open to the public in the commons through Oct. 22. Admission to the exhibit, as well as the Sept. 28 opening reception and presentation, is free and open to the public.Green, a Salina native, is director of human resources for the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services in Topeka. His mother and aunt both taught at Dunbar School, the last segregated school in Salina. He now is president of the school’s alumni association. Crystal Davis, assistant director of the Trio Student Support Services program, said that Green will bring a personal perspective on the time before and since the court decision. “Mr. Green will be able to share stories of growing up during the time of segregation and desegregation,” Davis said. “His education and life experiences will illustrate one of the most unique and challenging times in our country’s history.” Davis noted that just having the Brown v. Board of Education exhibit on campus was important. “This exhibit of photographs and information helps us recognize the tremendous social evolution our country has gone through in just the past 100 years,” she added. “This evolution didn’t necessarily begin or end with the Brown decision, but the decision played such a key role in our society’s push toward equality.” The reception and exhibit are sponsored by K-State at Salina and the Salina Commission on Human Relations.
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