The Lincoln School was the only school in Quincy that Black children were allowed to attend.  Even though the city was divided into eight different school districts, all the Black students were excluded from the white schools and were forced to travel long distances to attend the Lincoln School. John Longress was an active community member who was born into slavery. He wanted a better life for his seven children and the rest of the children in Quincy. Longress sued the Board of Education of the City of Quincy claiming that they had no authority to require Black children to attend one school while being excluded from all the others. The courts held that this policy directly violated a state statute that said boards of education were prohibited from excluding any child from public school because of the color of their skin. While this was a win in the courts, the city of Quincy still failed Longress and his community. The school board and city ignored the court’s decision and Quincy remained as segregated for another 25 years. [178 words]