Bill Clinton: “In the South and in Topeka, Kansas. It was about a little schoolgirl named Linda Brown whose parents thought she should…”

“In the South and in Topeka, Kansas. It was about a little schoolgirl named Linda Brown whose parents thought she should not be sent to a segregated school. The United States Supreme Court made that decision in 1954, 40 years ago today. Before that, the Su- preme Court had ruled that ``separate but equal'' was constitutional, right? And when the Supreme Court makes a ruling like that, it's the law of the land until they change their minds. During the Civil War, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves, in 1863 in the White House, on the same floor that I sleep every night, in what is now the Lincoln Bedroom--the room where your father spent the night last night, right? Secretary Riley's 93-year-old father spent the night last night in the room where President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves. Secretary Riley. He said he heard Lincoln all night long. [Laughter]”