Prelude to Brown - 1929: Wright v. Topeka

1929: Wright v. The Board of Education of Topeka

Topeka's Buchanan School figured in the Wright case of 1929. Wilhemina Wright, an African American student at Randolph School which was reserved for white students was transferred to Buchanan School twenty blocks away. Eugene S. Quinton of Topeka represented her father, George Wright, in his case. While it was agreed that Buchanan was as good a school as Randolph the inconvenience and danger of a child walking to a school far from home did not allow equal access to education. The decision came to rest on school busing. Wright lost this case as the Board provided bus transportation. In addition, as a first class city, Topeka could operate separate elementary schools based on race.

Read the Wright opinion.

View a scanned copy of the Wright opinion.