SEGREGATION IN
TOPEKA, KANSAS
Selected Facts Relating to Segregation in Topeka, Kansas (1876-1951)
1. In 1876, the Kansas legislature
enacted a civil rights law that prohibited racial discrimination in
"any state university, college, or other school of public instruction"
or in any place of public accommodation or amusement or public
conveyance.
2. In 1879, after a wave of about 8,000 blacks from southern
states moved to Kansas, the Kansas legislature enacted a law giving
first-class cities (cities of more than 15,000 people) the authority to
establish segregated elementary and junior high schools.
3. In 1903, William Reynolds, an African-American, brought suit
after his son was refused a seat in an all-white Topeka school.
Reynolds sued Topeka, but the policy of segregation was
upheld by the Kansas Supreme Court.
4. In 1941, the Topeka School Board proposed to establish
all-white junior high schools, but a group of Topeka blacks sue and
successfully block the plan (Graham v
Board of Education of Topeka)
5. In 1948, "The Citizens' Committee" filed a petition with the
Topeka School Board, asking for an end to its policy of maintaining
racially separate elementary schools. The petition was rejected.
6. In 1950, Topeka's population of about 80,000 was just under
10% black.
7. In 1951, Topeka was a Jim Crow town in some respects, but not
others. Blacks and whites did not have separate waiting room at
train or bus stations, and blacks were not required to sit in the back
of buses. On the other hand, the Gage Park swimming pool was
white only, and many of the local businesses (hotels, restaurants,
movie theaters) discriminated against blacks. It was extremely
difficult, in 1951, for blacks to land well-paying jobs.
8. In 1951, high schools and junior high schools in Topeka were
integrated, but elementary schools were not. Topeka operated
eighteen elementary schools for whites and four for blacks.
9. Topeka High, although having an integrated student body in
1951, had two basketball teams, one all white ("Trojans") and one all
black ("Ramblers"). The school also maintained separate tennis,
golf, swimming, wrestling, and cheerleading teams, as well as separate
pep clubs. Blacks and whites had separate student governing
bodies and generally sat at separate cafeteria tables.
10. The case of Brown v. Board
of Education of Topeka was filed in federal district court for
the state of Kansas on February 28, 1951.
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