Marcia Cebulska’s play Now Let Me Fly: The Struggle Toward Brown v. Board honors the landmark Supreme Court case.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka represents a significant milestone in the annals of legal history. This landmark Supreme Court case, which transpired in 1954, yielded a unanimous ruling by the justices, declaring the racial segregation of children in public schools as unconstitutional. The decision rendered on May 17, 1954, stands as a foundational pillar of the civil rights movement, establishing a vital precedent that unequivocally refutes the notion of “separate-but-equal” education and related services as truly equivalent. Approaching the imminent 70th anniversary of this momentous verdict on May 17, 2024, there exists an invaluable educational opportunity to incorporate this pivotal narrative into the classroom setting. One highly commendable resource to accomplish this aim is the historical drama entitled Now Let Me Fly: The Struggle Toward Brown V. Board, authored by Marcia Cebulska. 

Now Let Me Fly commences its narrative in 1950, when Thurgood Marshall dares to challenge the entrenched traditions and subvert the Supreme Court’s doctrine of “Separate but Equal.” However, a profound moment of introspection arises for Marshall as he encounters the spectral presence of his mentor, Charles Houston, instilling a seed of doubt within him. Houston guides Marshall on a profound journey, allowing him to bear witness to the hardships and sacrifices endured by those tirelessly engaged in the grassroots struggle against institutionalized segregation. Drawing upon a rich tapestry of hundreds of oral histories and personal interviews, Now Let Me Fly magnificently recounts the chronicles of the uncelebrated heroes and heroines who valiantly fought for civil rights. 

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