Harriet Elizabeth Brown Commemoration

Harriet Elizabeth Brown was a courageous Calvert County teacher who, in 1937, challenged unequal pay for African-American and white teachers.  Ms. Brown, only 30-years old at the time, was aided by her 29-year old NAACP attorney, Thurgood Marshall.  With a sense of urgency, the Calvert County Board of Education settled the case at a special meeting two days after Christmas, on December 27, 1937.  The very next day Governor Harry Nice came out in favor of equal pay for African-American and white teachers.

In May of 2015, Governor Hogan signed HB 354 into law, establishing the Harriet Elizabeth Brown Commemoration Task Force.  The Task Force met during the summer of 2015 and made the following recommendations to honor Ms. Brown’s legacy:

  • Name the new community center in Prince Frederick, Maryland the Harriet Elizabeth Brown Community Center;
  • Name Maryland Route 2, from the intersection with Maryland Route 4 to the Anne Arundel County line, the Harriet Elizabeth Brown Memorial Highway; and
  • Commission a portrait of Harriet Elizabeth Brown.

This fund was established to support the implementation of the recommendations of the Task Force and to be a catalyst for other efforts to honor Ms. Brown and her legacy.

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