National Faith Leader Mourns Linda Brown

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2018
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MEDIA CONTACT
Michelle Nealy, mnealy@faithinpubliclife.org, (202)735-7123

​ National Faith Leader Mourns Linda Brown

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Linda Brown, the small child who sat at the center of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case, died Sunday at the age of 75. She was 9-years-old in 1951 when her father, Oliver Brown, tried to enroll her at Sumner Elementary School, then an all-white school near her Topeka home. Brown v. Board ruled that segregated schools were unconstitutional. Today, many public schools are returning to a de facto segregation. ​

Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO, Faith in Public Life and Former Chair of the White House Council on Faith and Neighborhood Partnerships:
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“I grieve the passing of Linda Brown. Her strength and witness changed American history. As we continue to fight the demons of segregation, bigotry and racism, I pray that her example inspires us to live up to our values of justice and equality for all.”

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​ Faith in Public Life is a national network of nearly 50,000 clergy and faith leaders united in the prophetic pursuit of justice and the common good.