Location: 2400 6th St. NW, Washington, D.C.
Significance: Preparation for Brown v. Board of Education went down here
Howard University is famous for more than just Homecoming. Founded in 1867 and often regarded as the most notable Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Howard played a monumental role in American history and the Civil Rights Movement. Much of the preparation for Brown v. Board of Education took place on Howard's campus, specifically at Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel, Frederick Douglass Memorial Hall, and Founders Library. Also, many of the lawyers who argued Brown v. Board of Education (such as future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and NAACP Litigation Director Charles Hamilton Houston) were Howard Law students or professors. A decade after the Brown decision, President Lyndon B. Johnson spoke to the graduating class of 1965, outlining his plans for civil rights legislation and bridging the economic gap between whites and blacks.
Today, Howard University maintains its status as the "Mecca" of black education. The school is part of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and holds the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education status of RU/H for high research activity. Furthermore, Rankin Chapel, Douglass Hall, and Founders Library were all added to the National Register of Historic Places. They were declared National Landmarks in 2001. Most importantly, all are still in use as educational facilities today.