Brown Foundation
The Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research was established in 1988 as a living tribute to the attorneys, community organizers and plaintiffs in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision of 1954 Brown v. Board of Education. This decision signaled the end of legal segregation on the basis of race in this country. The Brown family and community leaders in Topeka, Kansas, established the Foundation to commemorate and document the activities and history makers involved in this historic court case. Learn more.
Read a message from the Founding President Cheryl Brown Henderson here.
First Public Program
Our memorable inaugural public program took place in 1989, which was an event to honor Rosa Parks the woman many consider Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement. In addition, we paid tribute to the living plaintiffs from the Topeka case in Brown v. Board of Education and Kansas United State Senator Nancy Landon Kassabaum. Below are photos from that historic event.
Mission and Purpose
The Brown Foundation is dedicated to building future leaders by developing, implementing, and supporting programs that "invest in children." The Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life for individuals by strengthening our overall sense of community, and fostering equal education opportunity and multicultural understanding.
The Brown Foundation works to educate the public about the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision.
"Now more than ever our school children need role models and advocates in the school where they spend a large part of their daily lives. We must encourage more academically able Black students to consider teaching as a career...the loss of Black teachers is a threat to all children, white and black. Teachers, as role models, help give future generations a view of the world. Let us make sure our children see themselves in that world."
-Elaine P. Witty, Retired Dean of the School of Education, Norfolk State University in Virginia