Day 85

CW: Racial slurs

Staying in hotels is ruining my sleep schedule. I stayed up until 12:30 last night and got up at 9:15, missing the free breakfast in the process. Starting today, I am publicly announcing my commitment to a 10pm bedtime (barring extenuating circumstances). Keep me honest, everyone.

My first and only stop in Topeka was the Brown v. Board of Education museum, located inside the old elementary school where Brown et al. went to school. Wow. This museum may be the best museum I have ever attended. It’s small, and only takes an hour or two to tour. But every moment is crafted to pose hard questions and demand answers. Thank you to Preston, the ranger who gave me a dynamic off-the-cuff talk that detailed the case’s history. There’s far too much to go into here, so here are some highlights:

• The NAACP, which sponsored and led all arguments for these cases, couldn’t break through the “separate but equal” barrier by focusing on economic injustice. So they turned to the Topeka school system, where black and white schools were logistically and economically similar, and instead focused on the psychology of the students. This is a summary of the heartbreaking research of Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Clark that was included in the case.
• One wall displayed this poem.

• Occasionally, visitors were encouraged to answer questions on sticky notes and post them to the wall. The toughest: “If your child were selected to integrate a school, would you allow them to go?” The best answer: “Our auntie was one of the first students to integrate. She is our HERO. We want to be just like her.”

Still processing, I made the hour-long drive to Kansas City in search of barbecue. I was expecting this to be an in-and-out, surgical procedure, but found myself shocked at how vibrant and cool the Arts District was. Psychedelic murals covered the buildings, and the architecture was a mix of repurposed brick and flashy new construction. Throw in the nearby jazz and Negro League museums, and I think I’ll make a return trip here at some point. For now, I enjoyed the barbecue (good, but not life-changing) and, after the tough morning, enjoyed the simplicity of the afternoon.