Brown v. Board of Education: On This Day, May 17

Posted by Anna Khomina on

On May 17, 1954, the US Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, unanimously ruling that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. The decision overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson, which infamously permitted "separate but equal" facilities. Chief Justice Earl Warren responded directly to the 60-year-old case when he declared, "In the field of public education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal."

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Inside the Vault on July 6: 1796 Civics Textbook and Education in Early Republic

Inside the Vault: Highlights from the Gilder Lehrman Collection is an online program focusing on unique primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman Collection.
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Submit a High School Essay You Wrote This Year for the David McCullough Essay Prize

The David McCullough Essay Prizes recognize outstanding high school student research essays with cash prizes of up to $10,000.
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Video Highlights from the 2023 Gilder Lehrman Institute Gala

On May 23, the Gilder Lehrman Institute Annual Gala celebrated the power of history education, scholarship, and the remarkable individuals who make our work possible.
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Four Book Breaks from the Archives for Juneteenth

Every week, the Gilder Lehrman Institute interviews award-winning historians about important topics in American history on Book Breaks. Our growing archive of past episodes serves as a diverse and abundant resource for students, teachers, and all lovers of history.
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Classroom and Parent Resources for Juneteenth

 Juneteenth (June 19) commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
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Three Courses Still Have Openings for the Gilder Lehrman Symposium

The Gilder Lehrman Institute is pleased to return to Gettysburg College for our second annual Teacher Symposium from July 16 to July 19. Four courses have closed to enrollment, but the following three courses still have some seats open: The Civil Rights Movement: Teaching beyond the Master Narrative with Charles McKinney (Rhodes College)
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Recent Press Mentions

Graduation Ceremony Held for the Gettysburg College–Gilder Lehrman MA in American History

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On Saturday, July 15, Gettysburg College celebrated the achievements of graduates of the Gettysburg College–Gilder Lehrman MA in American History.
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International Press for GLI's Spanish-American Curriculum Partnership with the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute

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The Sentinel Interviews Kevin Weddle on Winning the Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History

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"In today’s 5 Questions, The Sentinel gave Weddle the opportunity to delve deeper into the research and findings of his book that recently earned him the Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History."
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