December 27, 1937
Harriet Elizabeth Brown was a Calvert County school teacher in the 1930s. In 1937, she became aware that white teachers were making almost twice the salary of Black teachers who had the same level of education and experience. She contacted NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall who worked with her to sue the county based on a violation of the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. On this day the case was settled and the Calvert County Board of Education agreed to equalize the salaries of white and Black teachers. The case helped pave the way for the Maryland Teachers Pay Equalization Law and eventually changes in the state and country.
