Mildred Brown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mildred D. Brown
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Then US President Lyndon Johnson greets Mildred Brown at an NNPA convention in 1965.
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| Born | December 20, 1905 Alabama |
| Died | November 2, 1989 (age 83) Omaha, Nebraska |
| Occupation | Newspaper publisher, civic activist |
| Spouse(s) | S. Edward Gilbert (ex) |
Mildred D. Brown (born December 20, 1905 – died November 2, 1989) was an amazing African-American journalist and a strong leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Omaha, Nebraska. She was part of the Great Migration, a time when many African Americans moved from the Southern states to other parts of the U.S. Mildred traveled from Alabama to New York and then to Des Moines before settling in Omaha.
In Omaha, she and her husband started the Omaha Star newspaper. It was a special newspaper for the African-American community. After 1945, Mildred ran the Omaha Star by herself. It became the only African-American newspaper in Omaha and even the entire state. She used the newspaper to help educate people, build the community, support the national Civil Rights Movement, and create job opportunities for Black people. In the 1960s, President Lyndon Johnson even made her a goodwill ambassador to East Germany.
Mildred Brown was the first African American and one of only three women to be honored in the Omaha Business Hall of Fame. She was also recognized in the Nebraska Journalism Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Omaha Press Club Journalism of Excellence Hall of Fame in 2008.
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Mildred's Early Life and Education
Mildred Brown was born in Bessemer, Alabama in 1905. Her parents, Rev. and Mrs. Bennie J. Brown, were a well-known African-American family. Her mother was a teacher and encouraged Mildred to get a good education. In 1931, Mildred graduated from Miles College. This college, then called Miles Memorial Teachers College, was a historically black college (HBCU) founded by the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME Church).
Mildred worked as a teacher in Birmingham, Alabama. There, she met and married S. Edward Gilbert, who had studied pharmacy at Howard University. They moved to Chicago, where Mildred studied at Chicago Normal College. Later, they moved to Des Moines, where she learned about journalism at Drake University. Mildred began her journalism career selling ads and writing news for the Silent Messenger newspaper in Sioux City, Iowa. Her husband, S. Edward Gilbert, was the editor there.
In 1937, a friend invited them to work at his newspaper in Omaha, so they moved. Mildred first worked as an advertising manager.
Mildred Brown's Amazing Career
In 1938, Mildred and her husband started the Omaha Star newspaper. By 1945, it was the only African-American newspaper left in Omaha. It also became the largest one in the entire state. Mildred was the owner and publisher of the Omaha Star until she passed away in 1989. The newspaper is still running today, making it the longest-running newspaper in Omaha's history and the only Black newspaper printed in Nebraska.
Mildred and her husband divorced in 1943. Mildred then took full charge of the newspaper's operations as the "Advertising and General Manager." She used the Omaha Star to create more opportunities for the African-American community, especially for jobs. She hired young Black men and even provided scholarships to help them get an education. Mildred refused to accept ads from businesses that treated Black people unfairly when hiring. She also encouraged customers to boycott (stop buying from) these businesses to push for change. She saw the newspaper as a place for community news and made sure to share positive stories about the achievements of individuals and groups.
Fighting for Civil Rights
In the late 1940s, Mildred Brown joined the DePorres Club in Omaha. This group was made up of high school and Creighton University students who were fighting against racial discrimination. They even organized a sit-in at a cafe near the courthouse. When Creighton University stopped the group from meeting on campus because of their activism, Mildred offered the Omaha Star office for their meetings. She also gave them her advice and support.
The 1960s were tough years in Omaha, with many job losses and some riots. Mildred's fair and balanced reporting on these events earned praise from President Johnson. She continued to work hard, convincing businesses to open up more opportunities for Black people.
In the 1970s, Mildred joined the Citizens Co-Ordinating Committee for Civil Liberties, also known as the 4CL. This group was started by important Black church leaders. They continued to work for more job opportunities for everyone. They also focused on issues like fair housing, civil rights, and social justice. As a well-known journalist and publisher, Mildred had many friends. They invited her to travel for business, conventions, social events, and meetings with other newspaper publishers. Because of her important position in Nebraska's largest city, she also knew many politicians and national leaders.
Mildred Brown lived in an apartment in the Omaha Star building in the North Omaha neighborhood from 1938 until her death in 1989. Her niece, Dr. Marguerita Washington, continued to publish the newspaper until she passed away in 2016. In 2019, the Mildred D. Brown Memorial Study Center bought the newspaper's assets and continues to run it today.
Honors and Legacy
Mildred Brown received many honors for her important work:
- She was the first African American and one of only three women inducted into the Omaha Business Hall of Fame.
- In the 1960s, President Johnson praised Mildred Brown for her fair reporting on civil rights events and riots. He also appointed her as a goodwill ambassador to travel to East Germany.
- The National Newspaper Publishers Association, which includes 200 owners of Black newspapers, once recognized the Omaha Star for having the "Best Church Page."
- In 2007, the Omaha Star Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This was because of the newspaper's importance in the history of Omaha, journalism, and the Civil Rights Movement.
- In 2007, Mildred Brown was honored after her death by being inducted into the Nebraska Journalism Hall of Fame.
- In May 2008, Mildred Brown was also honored after her death as one of the first people inducted into the Omaha Press Club Journalists of Excellence Hall of Fame.
- The Mildred Brown Memorial Strolling Park was created in her honor in May 2008, right next to the Omaha Star building.
- Her niece, the late Dr. Marguerita Washington, who became the owner and publisher of the newspaper in 1989, started the non-profit Mildred D. Brown Memorial Study Center in 2007. This center provides scholarships for journalism students to learn about communication fields.
See also
