Plainfield Black Heritage Marker Honors School Desegregation Ruling

The New Jersey Historical Commission unveiled a New Jersey Black Heritage Trail marker honoring the desegregation of Plainfield Public Schools at Anna and Charles Booker Elementary School on Thursday, October 29, 2026. Plainfield reported the ceremony on October 31. Union County Life is sharing the story for residents who want to know the history behind the school’s name and the marker.

The Plainfield Public Schools and New Jersey Orators hosted the event, which drew about 50 people. They included community members, elected officials, Board of Education members, district staff, and six fifth graders. Anna Booker, 101, attended. Charles Booker, 103, was unable to attend.

Dr. Fallon Samuels Aidoo, a Tulane University professor and historic preservation expert, gave the historical background on Booker v. Board of Education of the City of Plainfield. The activism of the era, led by then NAACP Plainfield Branch President Reverend Frank W. Allen, drew the attention of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Judge Robert L. Carter, who worked under Thurgood Marshall at the Defense Fund, petitioned New Jersey courts on behalf of the Bookers and other families.

By 1963, the Black population of Plainfield Public Schools had risen to 40 percent, and Washington School was 96 percent Black. The families filed suit on March 2, 1965, and won on June 28 of that year. Samuels Aidoo said the ruling changed how students were placed in schools and how federal and state education funding was allocated.

The marker names only the Bookers as plaintiffs. The Historical Commission said a smaller sign listing all the parents will be added. Mayor Adrian Mapp thanked the plaintiff families and called on the state to break down municipal boundaries that he said still segregate students by where they live. Althea D. Ford, a Plainfield native and local president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, read the names of all the plaintiff families.

Anna Booker addressed the crowd before the unveiling. “This is just so amazing,” she said. “We’re so grateful that you are here. We are humbled.”

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FAQ

What does the Black Heritage Trail marker in Plainfield commemorate?
It honors the desegregation of Plainfield Public Schools, which followed the Booker v. Board of Education of the City of Plainfield case. The families filed suit in 1965 and won that June.

Where is the marker?
The marker is at Anna and Charles Booker Elementary School in Plainfield.

Whose names are on the marker?
The marker names Anna and Charles Booker as plaintiffs. A smaller sign listing all the parents will be added, according to the New Jersey Historical Commission.