Minnijean Brown-Trickey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Minnijean Brown-Trickey
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Minnijean Brown-Trickey speaking at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, February 9, 2018.
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| Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior For Workforce Diversity |
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| In office 1999–2001 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 11, 1941 Rogers, Arkansas, United States |
| Residence | Canada |
| Alma mater | Laurentian University |
| Occupation | Civil Rights Activist |
| Awards include the Congressional Gold Medal and Spingarn Medal | |
Minnijean Brown-Trickey was born on September 11, 1941. She is an important American activist. She was part of a brave group called the Little Rock Nine. This group included nine African American teenagers. They helped to end segregation at Little Rock Central High School. Segregation meant that Black and white students went to separate schools. The U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that this was unfair in a case called Brown v. Board of Education. This ruling said that public schools must be open to all students, no matter their race.
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Early Life and Education
Minnijean Brown was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her parents were Willie and Imogene Brown. Willie worked as a builder and landscaper. Imogene was a homemaker and a nurse's helper. Minnijean was the oldest of four children.
She started high school in 1956 at Horace Mann. This was a school just for Black students in Little Rock. In 1957, after the Brown v. Board of Education decision, she moved to Little Rock Central High School. She was later expelled from Central High. She finished her high school studies in New York at the New Lincoln School in Manhattan.
The Little Rock Nine's Brave Stand
In September 1957, Minnijean Brown and eight other African American students decided to attend Little Rock Central High School. They were helped by Daisy Bates, a well-known civil rights activist.
The students first tried to enter the school on September 4, 1957. But the Arkansas National Guard stopped them. The state's governor, Orval Faubus, had called them in. To help the Little Rock Nine, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent 1,200 U.S. paratroopers. These soldiers were from the 101st Airborne Division. On September 25, 1957, Minnijean and the other eight students successfully entered Little Rock Central High School. This was a big step in ending segregation.
Facing Challenges at School
Even with soldiers at the school, the nine students faced many difficulties. Other students often bothered them with mean words and actions. Minnijean was the first of the Little Rock Nine to be suspended. She was also the only one to be expelled.
One day, on December 17, 1957, she was walking through the busy cafeteria. Some students were bothering her. She accidentally dropped her lunch tray, spilling chili on two boys. She was suspended from school for six days. After she came back, a white student spilled soup on her. He was only suspended for two days. Later, in February, some girls threw a purse filled with locks at Minnijean. After she was expelled, some students at Central High passed around a note that said, "One down, eight to go."
After this, Minnijean moved to New York. She lived with Drs. Kenneth B. and Mamie Clark. The Clarks were African American psychologists. They had helped the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in the Brown v. Board of Education case. Minnijean attended the New Lincoln School in Manhattan for her last two years of high school.
Later Life and Achievements
Minnijean Brown-Trickey went to Southern Illinois University. She studied journalism there. In 1967, she married Roy Trickey. They had six children.
She lived in Canada for several years in the 1980s and 1990s. She studied social work at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario. She then earned a Master's degree in Social Work from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario.
She later returned to America. From 1999 to 2001, she worked for the Clinton Administration. She was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Workforce Diversity at the Department of the Interior.
A Voice for Change
Minnijean Brown-Trickey became a public speaker. She has spoken in 49 states across the U.S. She has also given speeches in other countries like Canada, England, and South Africa. One of the speaking events she values most was giving an award to Malala Yousafzai.
Brown-Trickey has received many awards for her work. These include a Lifetime Achievement Tribute from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. She also received the International Wolf Award, the Spingarn Medal, and an award from the W.E.B. DuBois Institute. In 1999, under President Clinton, she and the other members of the Little Rock Nine received the Congressional Gold Medal. This is one of the highest awards given to civilians in the U.S.
Portrayals in Media
Minnijean Brown-Trickey's story has been told in two TV movies about the Little Rock Nine.
- In 1981, Regina Taylor played her in the CBS movie Crisis at Central High.
- In 1993, Monica Calhoun played her in the Disney Channel movie The Ernest Green Story.
There is also a documentary film about her. It is called Journey to Little Rock: The Untold Story of Minnijean Brown Trickey (2002). This film was made in Ottawa, where she lived during the 1990s.
