McKinley Burnett
Encyclopedia
McKinley Burnett played a pivotal role in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education
of Topeka school desegregation case as President of the Topeka
NAACP by recruiting 13 Topeka families to participate in the court action.
in 1897. In his years of growing up he encountered many acts of discrimination. In school he was not allowed to participate in plays unless he was dancer, in the Army
as a soldier he was discriminated against, and as a supply clerk for the Veterans Administration
he had many limits because of his skin color. He wanted to do something about this, to end discrimination against African Americans.
In 1948 Burnett became President of the Topeka chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). His focus as president settled on desegregating public schools in Topeka, Kansas
. For two years he held meetings and wrote letters, trying to convince the school board to integrate schools. They kept refusing.
Burnett personally recruited thirteen African American families to attempt enrolling their children in Topeka Public Schools
' all-white schools for the fall semester of 1950. All 20 children were denied enrollment. In February, 1951 the NAACP filed a law suit. Eleven attempts had been made before to end desegregation in Kansas.
Three years after the suit was filed, the Supreme Court
reviewed the case. The case was named Brown v. Board of Education
. Throughout all the hearings and debates, Burnett was in attendance for it all. Chief Justice Earl Warren
delivered the ruling of the Supreme Court: “We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.”
McKinley Burnett was quoted as saying, “I say, 'thank God for the Supreme Court.’”
Administrative Center was renamed in his honor. This act created a named monument in the community where his leadership spawned the school desegregation case that is often credited with starting the civil rights movement of the late 20th century.
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
of Topeka school desegregation case as President of the Topeka
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
NAACP by recruiting 13 Topeka families to participate in the court action.
Early life
McKinley Langford Burnett was born in Oskaloosa, KansasOskaloosa, Kansas
Oskaloosa is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,113. Oskaloosa is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
in 1897. In his years of growing up he encountered many acts of discrimination. In school he was not allowed to participate in plays unless he was dancer, in the Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
as a soldier he was discriminated against, and as a supply clerk for the Veterans Administration
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
he had many limits because of his skin color. He wanted to do something about this, to end discrimination against African Americans.
In 1948 Burnett became President of the Topeka chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). His focus as president settled on desegregating public schools in Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
. For two years he held meetings and wrote letters, trying to convince the school board to integrate schools. They kept refusing.
Brown v. Board
In 1950 Burnett took his efforts to the next level. He informed the school board if they did not desegregate the schools, he along with the NAACP would go to court. The school board ignored the threat. So then the NAACP took the Topeka school board to court.Burnett personally recruited thirteen African American families to attempt enrolling their children in Topeka Public Schools
Topeka Public Schools
Topeka Public Schools is an Inner city School District serving the City of Topeka. It is one of four school districts that serve the city of Topeka, the capital city of Kansas...
' all-white schools for the fall semester of 1950. All 20 children were denied enrollment. In February, 1951 the NAACP filed a law suit. Eleven attempts had been made before to end desegregation in Kansas.
Three years after the suit was filed, 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...
reviewed the case. The case was named Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
. Throughout all the hearings and debates, Burnett was in attendance for it all. Chief Justice Earl Warren
Earl Warren
Earl Warren was the 14th Chief Justice of the United States.He is known for the sweeping decisions of the Warren Court, which ended school segregation and transformed many areas of American law, especially regarding the rights of the accused, ending public-school-sponsored prayer, and requiring...
delivered the ruling of the Supreme Court: “We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.”
McKinley Burnett was quoted as saying, “I say, 'thank God for the Supreme Court.’”
Later life
Burnett continued his duty as the president of the NAACP chapter until 1963. He died in 1968. On October 4, 2001, the Topeka Public SchoolsTopeka Public Schools
Topeka Public Schools is an Inner city School District serving the City of Topeka. It is one of four school districts that serve the city of Topeka, the capital city of Kansas...
Administrative Center was renamed in his honor. This act created a named monument in the community where his leadership spawned the school desegregation case that is often credited with starting the civil rights movement of the late 20th century.