Kate Brown (19th-Century African-American rights activist)
Encyclopedia
Katherine "Kate" Brown was an employee of the United States Senate
and African American
civil rights activist.
In February 1868, Kate Brown boarded a train to travel from Alexandria, Virginia
to Washington, D.C.
She entered “what they call the ‘white people’s car.’” As she was boarding, a railroad policeman told her to move to a different car. He told her the car she had entered “was for ladies,” and “no damned n----- was allowed to ride in that car; never was and never would be.” She replied, “This car will do.”
The railroad police officer and another employee grabbed Brown and, after a violent struggle that lasted six minutes, in which she was beaten and kicked, threw her on the boarding platform, dragged her along the platform and threatened to arrest her. She asked, “What are you going to arrest me for? What have I done? Have I committed robbery? Have I murdered anybody?”
Brown’s injuries were so severe that she was bedridden for several weeks and spit up blood. She sued the railway company for damages and was awarded $1,500 in damages in the district court. The railway company appealed, and the case eventually went before the Supreme Court
. On November 17, 1873, in an opinion delivered by Justice David Davis, the Court held that racial segregation on the line was not allowed under the charter. Davis dismissed the company’s “separate but equal” argument as “an ingenious attempt to evade a compliance with the obvious meaning of the requirement” of the 1863 charter and decided in favor of Kate Brown. Railroad Company v. Brown, 84 U. S. 445 (1873)
The Court held that white and black passengers must be treated with equality in the use of the railroad's cars:
Brown recovered from her injuries and remained a Senate employee until 1881.
The Congressional Black Associates honored Brown by naming one of its “Trailblazer Awards” in her honor.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
civil rights activist.
In February 1868, Kate Brown boarded a train to travel from Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
She entered “what they call the ‘white people’s car.’” As she was boarding, a railroad policeman told her to move to a different car. He told her the car she had entered “was for ladies,” and “no damned n----- was allowed to ride in that car; never was and never would be.” She replied, “This car will do.”
The railroad police officer and another employee grabbed Brown and, after a violent struggle that lasted six minutes, in which she was beaten and kicked, threw her on the boarding platform, dragged her along the platform and threatened to arrest her. She asked, “What are you going to arrest me for? What have I done? Have I committed robbery? Have I murdered anybody?”
Brown’s injuries were so severe that she was bedridden for several weeks and spit up blood. She sued the railway company for damages and was awarded $1,500 in damages in the district court. The railway company appealed, and the case eventually went before the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. On November 17, 1873, in an opinion delivered by Justice David Davis, the Court held that racial segregation on the line was not allowed under the charter. Davis dismissed the company’s “separate but equal” argument as “an ingenious attempt to evade a compliance with the obvious meaning of the requirement” of the 1863 charter and decided in favor of Kate Brown. Railroad Company v. Brown, 84 U. S. 445 (1873)
The Court held that white and black passengers must be treated with equality in the use of the railroad's cars:
Brown recovered from her injuries and remained a Senate employee until 1881.
The Congressional Black Associates honored Brown by naming one of its “Trailblazer Awards” in her honor.
External links
- "'“A Dastardly Outrage': Kate Brown and the Washington-Alexandria Railroad Case," by Betty K. Koed, Assistant Historian, U.S. Senate Historical Office
- Testimony before a Committee of the US Senate
- Report of the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia, June 17, 1868 (No. 131, 40th Congress, 2nd Session)