Topeka was at the center of Brown v. Board. Decades later, segregation of another sort lingers

The school system in Topeka, Kansas, was at the center of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case that struck down segregated education 70 years ago. In school lessons, memorials and ceremonies, Topeka is marking its ties to the 1954 ruling. But just as clear to many is the legacy of discrimination that stands in the way of its promise of equity. Segregation persists today, not as a matter of law but as a reflection of underlying disparities, including in housing. In greater Topeka, as in school systems across America, students of color are concentrated in districts that disproportionately serve low-income families.