Before Brown v. Board: A Look at Dred Scott v. Sandford and Plessy v. Ferguson

Washburn University School of Law, the Brown Foundation, and the Shawnee County Historical Society, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Preservation Leadership Forum, host an online discussion to look at cases that occurred before Brown v. Board of Education: Dred Scott v. Sandford and Plessy v. Ferguson. The program is on May 17, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. central time. An update on the work being done to preserve the full story of Brown v. Board will be provided.

The 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education compiled cases from five communities across the South, East, and Midwest to desegregate American schools and it is one of the most significant landmark cases in the history of the United States.

Descendants from Dred Scott v. Sandford and Plessy v. Ferguson will join the discussion. Speakers include:

  • Lynne Jackson, President, Dred Scott Heritage Foundation
  • Keith Plessy, President, The Plessy and Ferguson Foundation
  • Phoebe Ferguson, Executive Director, The Plessy and Ferguson Foundation
  • Moderator: Janet Thompson Jackson, Professor of Law, Washburn University School of Law
  • Moderator: Leslie Canaan, Senior Field Officer, National Trust for Historic Preservation

Watch the event recording:

Slides used during the presentations.

See also stories about this event:

Logos: Brown Foundation, Shawnee County Historical Society, and Washburn University School of Law.