A poignant, traveling exhibit highlighting the struggle of African Americans for equal rights under the U.S. Constitution will open in Nashville, Tenn., May 17 on the 48th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Brown v. Board of Education case. That decision made segregation in public schools illegal.

Opening ceremonies in Nashville are set for 6:30 p.m. at the Nashville Public Library. Arrangements to display the exhibit in Nashville were a cooperative effort of the library and Vanderbilt University in conjunction with Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit.

The exhibit, titled "Marching Toward Justice: The History of the 14th Amendment, "was created by the Damon J. Keith Law Collection of African-American Legal History at the WSU Law School. It has been touring the country and was displayed most recently in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

The 800 square foot, paneled exhibit uses photographs, drawings and reproductions of documents to tell the story of African Americans' quest for justice. It covers topics ranging from slavery to black soldiers in the Civil War, and from the Emancipation Proclamation to ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868.

"The part of the exhibit that focuses on desegregation of public schools in the South is particularly timely," says Lawrence Mann, law professor and director of the Keith Collection at Wayne State. "With the Supreme Court's landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, it could safely be said, for the first time in America's history, that the Constitution applied to all of its citizens."

Pointing out that the exhibit is an outgrowth of the Keith Collection, Mann notes that "the collection is a tremendous educational vehicle in keeping with Wayne State's objectives as an urban university with a global educational mission."

Widely known federal judge Damon J. Keith, who has lent his name and many of his personal papers to the archival collection of African-American legal history at Wayne State, explains that the 14th Amendment exhibit was created as "a means to help inform the public regarding the fundamental importance of the amendment and our nation's quest to realize the ideals of freedom outlined in the Declaration of Independence." Keith, a 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge in Detroit, has taken an active interest in the 14thAmendment exhibit since its creation.

Judge Keith will emcee the opening program. Among dignitaries participating in the ceremonies will be Irvin D. Reid, president of Wayne State University; Bill Purcell, mayor of Nashville; and Nicholas Zeppos, provost of Vanderbilt University. General Motors Corp. is sponsoring the traveling exhibit.