ABOUT US

The mission of Brown v. Board Foundation, Inc. is to raise funds to provide grants to schools for the transportation of students to visit the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka, Kansas. Making grant money available to schools to pay transportation costs will eliminate the financial obstacle to providing this educational experience to students.

Brown v. Board Foundation, Inc. is a Missouri nonprofit corporation. We are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.

 

Click Here to see photos of groups we have sponsored

How We Started

This project came about after our family spent a weekend in Topeka in the summer of 2017. We had free time in the afternoon and we finally had the opportunity to visit the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education National Historic Site.

For years I had seen the signs along the interstate and had wanted to visit the site but never took the time to get off the highway when passing through Topeka. When we were in Topeka for other events, there was never time to make an extra stop to visit the historic site.

The experience was moving, impressive, and other adjectives that simply are inadequate to fully describe what a visitor sees and feels when touring the exhibits.

When we got back to Kansas City I talked to others about the visit and was surprised that – literally – nobody I spoke with had visited there either. Many had heard of it but in a similar way had never had an opportunity to visit the site. It seemed wrong that a place of incredible national importance was less than 100 miles away and students from Kansas City schools did not travel there as a regular part of the field trip experience at some point during the K-12 curriculum. So many field trips are taken to places that are far less significant to the education process. In speaking with others who now compose the board of the foundation, it seemed like a project that would fill a need in our community. We talked to others who wanted to get involved and formed a non-profit organization.   We held our first fundraising event in the spring of 2018.

 To date, we have worked with groups from:

 Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools
Kansas City, Missouri Public Schools
Blue Valley School District
V. Lindsay School
Success Academy

 In addition, we had trips scheduled for groups from PrepKC and University Academy and look forward to rescheduling those groups when we are able. 

 We are also working to develop a relationship with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City to provide trips during summer and other school breaks. The recent events have delayed those plans for now but we are looking forward to sending groups from area clubs when we are able to safely do so. 

Board Members

Sam Knopik

Sam is a teacher and head football coach at Pembroke Hill High School.

Drew Marriott

Drew is an attorney in the Kansas City area who practices in the area of education law.

Daniel Stanley

Daniel is a recent graduate of the University of Chicago, majoring in religious studies and philosophy.

Kevin Stanley

Kevin is an attorney at a Kansas City area law firm.

Melvin Walker

Melvin is an administrator and teacher at Park Hill South High School.