Civil Rights in Kansas
KKK in Kansas
44 years after the Klu Klux Klan had been banned by President Ulysses S. Grant, the Klu Klux Klan had finally risen up again in 1915. William Allen White had written an editorial in the Emporia Gazette, cautioning people about the Klan and their growing popularity and influence. Governor Henry Allen had also warned people about the Klan as well, stating that the Klan had "introduced into Kansas the curse that comes to civilized people, the curse that rises out of unrestricted passions of men governed by religious intolerance and racial hatred." Despite these warnings, it was estimated that at least 60,000 Kansans were part of 30 local Klan branches. In 1924, William Allen White ran for governor on an anti-Klan platform. Although White had lost, he had raised awareness of the Klu Klux Klan and soon the Klan was outlawed in Kansas.
Dockum Drugstore Sit-In
In July of 1958, the Dockum Drug Store Sit-In took place, which few have heard about or recognized its importance. The sit-in was lead by students in attempt to end segregation. However, there was little news being spread through the press of the event, wanting to avoid the negative association. The Dockum Drug Store refused to serve African Americans, just as many other restaurants did in Kansas City. If any black customers wanted to buy food from the drugstore, they had to order to-go and pick up their food at the end of the counter. Carol Parks Hahn, a planner and participant of the Dockum Drug Store Sit-In stated that, “You'd come in and go to the end of this counter and when you were served anything, it was in disposable containers, we never knew what it was to just sit there and have a glass and dishes." Her cousin, Ron Walters, had also participated in the sit-in. Starting on July 19, 1958, Carol, Ron, and a few fellow students had began to come into the drugstore and fill up the stools at the counter every day. They had only asked for a soft drink. It was a quiet, peaceful protest, which was a fairly new concept at the time. A few white customers of the store had cursed and questioned them, but the students had continued to peacefully protest. The sit-in had caused a ripple effect, students in Greensboro, North Carolina had carried out similar protests, along with the Youth NAACP Council. On August 11, the store owner had finally gave in and served Carol, Ron, and their classmates.
Brown vs Board of Education & Segregation
As of 1897, with the outcome of Plessy vs Ferguson, segregation was deemed “legal”. Segregation is when races are legally forced to be separated. Although slavery was banned with the 13th amendment in 1865, people still found loopholes and different ways to discriminate. An example of this is segregation. Segregation was usually found in establishments designated to a certain race, such as a school just for whites and a school only for African Americans. Those who went into establishments assigned to a different race than theirs could face legal punishments. In America, white establishments where usually nicer than those made specifically for people of color. This is where Brown vs Board of Education comes into play.
Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas was a case where a 3rd grader named Linda Brown who attended a black school had to walk a mile just to get to her school. In Topeka, there were only 4 black schools, while there were 14 white schools. Linda lived only 7 blocks away from a local white school, but due to her race, she was not allowed to attend. Linda’s father, Oliver Brown, had claimed that the segregation amongst Topeka schools had been in violation of the Equal Protection Clause due to the inequality between the black and white schools. Although the Federal district had dismissed the case, Brown had appealed to the Supreme Court who ultimately ruled in favor of Brown.
