Oliver Brown
The Plaintiffs in the Brown v. Board of Education case were made up of 13 Topeka families.
- Oliver Leon Brown
- Mrs. Darlene Brown
- Mrs. Lena M. Carper
- Mrs. Sadie Emmanuel
- Mrs. Marguerite Emmerson
- Mrs. Shirla Fleming
- Mrs. Andrew (Zelma) Henderson
- Mrs. Shirley Hodison
- Mrs. Richard (Maude) Lawton
- Mrs. Alma Lewis
- Mrs. Iona Richardson
- Mrs. Vivian Scales
- Mrs. Lucinda Todd
Alvin and Lucinda Todd family
Oliver Brown’s daughter, Linda, attended Monroe Elementary, located 21 blocks from their home near downtown Topeka. When Oliver tried enrolling Linda at Sumner Elementary, merely 4 blocks from their home, they were turned away because of their race. Twelve other black families in Topeka tried to enroll their children in the surrounding white schools as well, with no success. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) then filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Oliver Brown and the 12 other families, including their 20 children.
Zelma Henderson