Established in 1992 in Topeka, Kansas (pictured upper right), the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park Expansion and Redesignation Act of 2022 would include two historic schools in Summerton, South Carolina.
Photo: NPS Midwest Region
We are helping the National Park Service (NPS) take a critical first step toward acquiring a historic epicenter in the fight against racial segregation, expanding a significant national park dedicated to civil rights.
Project Details:
Project Years: 2026 – Present
Parcel Size: 5+ acres
Project Cost: $6,000
Park Trust Role: Acquire Initial Survey of Park Parcels
Overview
In 2022, Congress passed the bipartisan Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park Expansion and Redesignation Act to expand the existing historic site in Topeka, Kansas to include Summerton High and Scott’s Branch High in Summerton, South Carolina, two historic school sites once at the epicenter of the fight to end school segregation.
NPS is now working to formally acquire the South Carolina schools. Before the acquisition can proceed, land surveys must be completed on the two parcels, a complex process that can delay the entire acquisition. And that’s when we step in: with our real estate expertise, we will play a significant role by acquiring and donating the initial legal land surveys needed to get the acquisitions moving.
The Fight Against Segregation in America, Told in Two Former Schools in Summerton, South Carolina:
- Summerton High School, built in 1936 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was the catalyst for the 1952 Briggs v. Elliott case, as a former all-white school that refused to admit African American students.
- Scott’s Branch High School was constructed in 1951 as an “equalization school” for African American students under the premise of providing facilities comparable to those for white students.
Why This Place Matters
In 1992, the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park was established in Topeka, Kansas, to honor the Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 decision ruling that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. The story of the end of public school segregation in America cannot be fully told without Summerton, South Carolina. Beginning as a case challenging school segregation in Summerton, Briggs v. Elliott was the first of five lawsuits consolidated under the famous Brown v. Board of Education case. By helping establish the South Carolina unit of the national park, we are ensuring that these historic schools, and the young people who fought for justice in Summerton, are permanently protected for the public to remember.
Significance of the Acquisition:
- Permanently protects an important piece of the Brown v. Board of Education case and the story of the struggle to end school segregation.
- Ensures that two historic schools central to the Briggs v. Elliott case are preserved and accessible for future generations.
