Earlier this year, Congress unanimously passed, and the President signed into law, the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park Expansion and Redesignation Act (S. 270), which establishes National Park Service Affiliated Areas in Delaware, Virginia, and the District of Columbia and expands the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka, Kansas, to include related sites in South Carolina. In late September, the National Trust participated in two events with community leaders to celebrate and plan the implementation of the new NPS sites that were featured in a multi-year advocacy campaign led by the National Trust.

On September 27, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, National Park Service Director Chuck Sams, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, and National Trust staff visited Summerton, South Carolina, to tour the historic Summerton High School and Scotts Branch High School, celebrate the recent legislation, and hear first-hand from community leaders about their inspiring and courageous stories of their significant role in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision.

Later that week, National Trust staff participated in a series of meetings and events in Topeka, Kansas, alongside the National Park Service and representatives from each of the five communities featured in the legislation as part of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka. We look forward to continuing our work with stakeholders in South Carolina, Delaware, Virginia, and the District of Columbia as the implementation of the enacted legislation moves forward.