Minnijean Brown-Trickey
Minnijean Brown-Trickey | |
---|---|
Department of the Interior For Workforce Diversity | |
In office 1999–2001 | |
President | Bill Clinton |
Personal details | |
Born | Rogers, Arkansas, United States | September 11, 1941
Residence | Canada |
Alma mater | Laurentian University |
Occupation | Civil Rights Activist |
Awards include the Congressional Gold Medal and Spingarn Medal | |
Minnijean Brown-Trickey (born September 11, 1941)
Early life
Minnijean Brown was born to Willie and Imogene Brown in Little Rock, Arkansas. Willie worked as an independent mason and a landscaping contractor while Imogene was a homemaker and a nurses aide. Minnijean was the eldest of four siblings.[1] She began her high school career in 1956 at Horace Mann, an all-black school located in Little Rock, AR. She later transferred to Little Rock Central High School in 1957 following the Brown v. Board of Education decision. She was expelled from Central and finished her high school education in New York at the New Lincoln School in Manhattan.[3]
Little Rock Nine
In September 1957, with the help of Daisy Bates, a prominent civil rights activist in Central Arkansas, Minnijean Brown set out to integrate Little Rock Central High School alongside eight other African American students. The students originally attempted to enter the school on September 4, 1957, but were stopped by the Arkansas National Guard called in by Governor Orval Faubus.[4] In response, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent 1,200 U.S. paratroopers from the 101st Airborne Division to assist the Little Rock Nine in entering the school.[3] On September 25, 1957, Brown along with the other eight students desegregated Little Rock Central High School.[4]
Despite the troops being stationed at the high school throughout the '57-'58 school year, the nine students were physically and verbally harassed by their classmates.[3] Brown was the first suspended out of the Little Rock Nine and she was the only one to be expelled.[1] Her suspension was the result of an incident which took place on December 17, 1957. While walking through the crowded cafeteria during lunch, Brown-Trickey was harassed and ended up dropping her lunch tray and spilling chili on two male students.[5] She was suspended from school for six days.[5] Following her suspension, Minnijean came back to school and a white student spilled soup on her. He was only suspended for two days.[6] Later, in February, a group of girls threw a purse filled with combination locks at Minnijean. She responded by calling the girls "white trash" and was immediately expelled.[7] After her expulsion, students at Central passed a note around which stated, "One down, eight to go."[7]
Following the incident, Brown moved to New York and lived with Drs. Kenneth B. and Mamie Clark. The Clarks were African American psychologists who helped with the argument presented by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in the Brown v. Board of Education case.[1]
Brown attended the New Lincoln School in Manhattan for 11th and 12th grade.[3]
Later life
Brown attended
She became a public speaker, and has spoken in 49 states as well as several countries including Canada, England, and South Africa.[10] The speaking event that Brown-Trickey values the most was speaking at an award ceremony for Malala Yousafzai.[3][11][8]
Brown-Trickey has been the recipient of many awards including a Lifetime Achievement Tribute by the
Media portrayals
Brown-Trickey has been depicted in two
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Minnijean Brown Trickey (1941–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas". www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
- ^ "Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Harvey, Lucy. "A Member of the Little Rock Nine Discusses Her Struggle to Attend Central High". Smithsonian. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ a b "Little Rock Central High 40th Anniversary - The 1957-58 School Year". 2006-12-17. Archived from the original on 2006-12-17. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ a b "Revisiting the Little Rock Chili Incident". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ "Choices People Made: The Little Rock Nine and Their Parents". Facing History and Ourselves. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ a b "Minnijean Brown Trickey, Environmental and Civil Rights Activist". Unsung Heroines. 2009-03-26. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ a b Trainer, Mark (2016-02-11). "Spirit Trickey and the Little Rock Nine". ShareAmerica. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ a b "Minnijean Brown-Trickey". Women In Peace. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ "Motivational Speakers". Little Rock Nine Foundation. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ a b "Minnijean Brown-Trickey Speaking Bio and Videos | The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau". www.thelavinagency.com. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ^ Crisis at Central High, retrieved 2019-06-03
- ^ The Ernest Green Story, retrieved 2019-06-03
External links
- Minnijean Brown-Trickey speaker profile at The Lavin Agency
- Little Rock Nine Foundation website