Washington Elementary School was one of four Black elementary schools in Topeka, Kansas, prior to the U. S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. The Board of Education (1954) that called for the desegregation of public schools. This silent film from the late 1930s or early 1940s documents a day at Washington School and follows each grade level through various activities. The complete film, Spirit of Washington, is now available on Kansas Memory.
See African American Teachers in Kansas for a description of the effect of the Brown v. Board ruling on Black teachers.
For more information on the Brown v. Board case and segragation, select the category People - African Americans - Discrimination - Segregation
For oral histories on the Brown v. Board case, select the category Collections - Oral History - Brown vs Topeka Board of Education