John Philip Sousa Junior High School 3650 Ely Place, SE
In 1950, eleven African-American students were denied admission to this school, which had been built specifically to serve white students. The Supreme Court heard the resulting case, Bolling v. Sharpe, in 1952. A group of parents in Anacostia organized as the Consolidated Parents Group, who petitioned the D.C. School Board for admittance and were denied. James Nabrit filed suit on behalf of the students in the District Court for D.C. When the court dismissed the claim, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the argument, led by attorney George Edward Chalmer Hayes. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of the students on the same day that they decided on four other civil rights in education cases, bundled together under Brown v. Board of Education.
The school honors the composer known for his patriotic and military marches. This site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.