First lady to speak at Topeka schools’ graduation

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Michelle Obama plans to give the commencement address for the graduation ceremony for Topeka’s high schools on May 17.

The White House announced the first lady’s plans Thursday. The date of the ceremony is the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic Brown v. Board of Education decision that declared school segregation unconstitutional.

One of the lawsuits leading to the decision originated in Topeka, and the city is home to a national historic site centered on the ruling.

The graduation is scheduled for 1 p.m. May 17 at the Kansas Expocentre.

The Topeka school district normally schedules separate graduation ceremonies for its three high schools, alternative school and charter school but is combining them because of the first lady’s address. The district expects 800 seniors to receive their diplomas.