Exhibit Highlights Morristown's NJ Supreme Court Landmark Civil Rights Case

The Lighthouse Exhibit

May 29th, Kicks off the Exhibit with the discussion

Rise Up: When Communities Fight Back

The Lighthouse Exhibit explores a pivotal chapter in Morristown's history when community activists and residents spoke up. In 1971, the New Jersey Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Jenkins v. Morris School District, known as the Morris Merger, forced the courts to integrate the predominantly white Morris Township schools with the majority-minority schools of Morristown.

The exhibit tells the story of eight plaintiffs who bravely placed their names on a lawsuit (Jenkins v. The Township of Morris School District and Board of Education) to help prevent segregated schools from being a permanent fixture in American society.

Beatrice Jenkins, Cliff Burton, Charles C. “Moose” Jamison, Jr., Theodore King, Valerie Kowalski, Lloyd Newberry, Inge Nierenberg, and Ernestine Ritchie uplifted the goals of the landmark decision Brown v. Board of Education. The exhibit highlights what came before the merger as it is just as important as what came after. As the Jenkins decision notes, true integration that begins in schools has reverberating effects that help displace racial intolerance and the polarization of political attitudes.

It was a ruling that went further than Brown v. Board of Education. On Friday, May 29th, the exhibit will kick off with the discussion Rise Up: When Communities Fight Back. A diverse panel will explore integration in Morris County, the impact of ICE enforcement on Morristown families, and the tools everyday people need to protect the communities they love. Come ready to listen, learn, and raise your voice.

May 29-May 31

Friday: 6pm-9pm *7pm panel discussion

Sat 1pm-3pm and 5pm-7pm

Sun 1pm-3pm

morrismerger.com