Trenton’s 1944 school desegregation case inspires ‘Melanated Neurons’ Black History STEM subscription box

In 1943, two Trenton students, Janet Hedgepeth and Leon Williams, had just completed sixth grade and were assigned to attend New Lincoln School, a school designated for Black students.

Their mothers, Gladys Hedgepeth and Berline Williams, challenged this decision. The New Lincoln School was more than two miles from their neighborhood, while Junior High School No. 2 was located much closer. However, Junior High No. 2 had never admitted a Black student. When the mothers attempted to enroll their children at Junior High School No. 2, the principal refused admission because of their race.

Hedgepeth and Williams appealed to the Trenton Board of Education, where the superintendent told them the children would need to attend New Lincoln School until transfer requests could be processed. When the school year began, however, the transfers had still not been approved. Refusing to accept segregation, both mothers filed a lawsuit against the Trenton Board of Education, arguing that the policy violated their children’s rights.

On January 31, 1944, the New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Hedgepeth and Williams, declaring that separating students based on race in Trenton’s public schools was unlawful.

The decision helped pave the way for the desegregation of New Jersey schools nearly a decade before the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education.

This is just one of the Black history stories Dr. Angeline Dean highlights in Melanated Neurons Communiverse™—a monthly identity-affirming STEM/STEAM museum in a subscription box that teaches Black children their history, coupled with an activity that relates to the story.

Dr. Dean partnered with Dr. Joy Barnes-Johnson, a STEM teacher from the Foundation Academies Charter School in Trenton, to use the story of Hedgepeth and Williams v. Board of Education in the Melanated Neurons Communiverse™ box. They decided to go with the story of Hedgepeth and Williams in honor of Women’s History Month and to create an activity where the youth would create a redlined city, like what happened to their city and many others throughout the U.S. and abroad, as they learned about “two women from Trenton who changed the United States,” said Dr. Dean. In this box, they will also learn via census cards that show how highways were built through areas where Black people rented, and White people were allowed to own; thereby, learning about wealth and disparity.” 

Melanated Neurons Communiverse™ is a safe, empowering, identity-affirming subscription box for children ages seven to 12 that celebrates ancestral joy and genius. Each month, a child receives a mini-reader story with QR access spotlighting a Black innovator or ancestor; a hands-on Genius Lab blending history and STE(A)M learning; a Parent/Educator guide for meaningful conversations with loved ones; a Values Card affirming identity, joy, and brilliance. 

The idea arose when Dean’s great nephew, NyAire, seven at the time, faced racism at school. “Being called the ‘N’ word, Black, and Black Monkey,” said Dean, who was also dealing with racism, coupled with “white-injected oppression” (commonly known as internalized racism) from her melanated professors and administrators, as an adult studying to receive her PhD, was totally unacceptable.

“He doesn’t have the tools I have,” she said. “I’m still experiencing hell in my program. I just said a prayer, ‘God, this is just so unfair. I can deal with this, but not these kids and not on my watch. He cannot be the only one dealing with this.’” 

In August 2025, Dean created “Everything Black.” She took seven youth, aged seven to 12, to their first Black-owned bookstore, first Black-owned restaurant, and visited a 75-acre farm owned by a Black husband and wife. “Enslaved people were owned on that property,” said Dean. 

The people who owned the farm brought in elders who grew up in the neighborhood and had conversations with the young people. The children went horseback riding and learned about horses, farming, and history. 

Going to Harlem Children’s Week was the grand finale of “Everything Black,” Dean said. “There are blocks and blocks of nothing but Black-owned businesses.” The children also got to witness business owners their age. One child shouted, “OMG! All these people look like me and own their business! I love New York! This is why representation matters.”

With inspiration to continue teaching Black children about their history and having to go back to work full-time, the idea to create Melanated Neurons Communiverse™ came while on vacation and business in Morocco. “It started out as something to give them back their identity,” she said. “You are not just a slave (the title of one of her books) as schools teach you, in fact, you never were-you were enslaved.” 

Dean said she got her innovative spirit growing up in Camden.”The hustle and bustle of the city and stores, Broadway, and walking to different places with her parents contributed to her imagination. My father was very instrumental in teaching me about my history and my culture. He was a truck driver who spent a lot of time on the road. I would get into trouble in school a lot for speaking up and asking too many questions. My dad said, ‘Your mouth is either going to make you money or get you in trouble.” 

One time, Dean got in trouble, and her “punishment” was to read all three volumes of the Encyclopedia of Black History. She said, “What began as punishment turned into quality time with my dad and learning about my culture, learning about my history.

Dr. Dean can be contacted at info@melanatedneurons.com, and if interested in ordering, click here.