瑞秋B. 诺埃尔

This civil rights pioneer and 密歇根州立大学丹佛 professor lived what she believed.

瑞秋B. 诺埃尔是科罗拉多州的传奇人物. She was the first African-American woman to be elected to public office in the state and the first African-American to serve on 丹佛’s Board of Education and as a member and chair of the University of Colorado Board of Regents. She introduced the “诺埃尔 Resolution” in 1968, which aimed to provide equal opportunity to 丹佛’s school children and led to a historic legal victory: the U.S. Supreme Court’s first de facto desegregation decision involving a Northern school district. She was named by the Rocky Mountain 新闻 as one of Colorado’s Top 100 Citizens of the Century in 2000, one of countless awards she won in her lifetime. 但对那些认识她的人来说, for those whose lives she touched, 诺埃尔 was simply a humble and gracious woman whose guiding principle was to live what she believed.

“You don’t see that kind of authenticity in many people,” said her daughter, Angela 诺埃尔.

“她一直是同一个人, from the time she grew up in a small town in Virginia, to her first job in a settlement house, to moving to 丹佛 and getting involved in the PTA and Girl Scouts and in courageous activism, to teaching and eventually as a high-profile public figure.“

“The same things were always important to her,” her son, Buddy, added. “She loved children, education, God and her faith.”

诺埃尔 also was a faculty member at 密歇根州立大学丹佛 from 1969-80. She built the African-American Studies Department and chaired it from 1971-80. She was known as a gifted scholar and perceptive colleague who often challenged the University community to practice what it preached. In 1974-75, 诺埃尔 was recognized as ASMSC Outstanding Female Faculty Member. 在她的晚年, she would receive honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Colorado, the University of 丹佛 and 密歇根州立大学丹佛.

A sociologist by training and a teacher at heart, 诺埃尔 had a reputation for going above and beyond on behalf of her students. 她的儿子注意到, “She enjoyed seeing her students progress as individuals and in their understanding of social justice issues as they played out in 丹佛, in particular the longtime struggle for justice in the African-American community.”

Shortly after 诺埃尔’s retirement, 密歇根州立大学丹佛 launched the 瑞秋B. 诺埃尔 Distinguished 访问ing Professorship. The professorship was created to celebrate and foster the courageous commitment to multiculturalism, diversity and education that defined 诺埃尔’s years at the institution. 三十多年了, the professorship has brought renowned scholars, 音乐家, 企业领导人, 作家, 政治上的开拓者, actors and other luminaries to campus to conduct seminars, performances and lectures for the community.

诺埃尔 passed away in 2008 at the age of 90, but never lost her passion for education and activism. Both her children believe that if she were alive today, she would be involved in movements that advocate for fairness and inclusion. They are certain she would be concerned about the continuing racial disparities in 丹佛 Public Schools as well as racial injustices across the nation, and would encourage her students to be a part of the dialogue and the solution. After all, 诺埃尔 believed you could always do more, grow more and learn more.

“She always wanted to push forward,” her daughter observed. “If she were at 密歇根州立大学丹佛 today, she’d be asking ‘what still needs to be done? 是的, we have accomplished some great things in the past, but how do we protect the advancements we’ve made and continue to push for more?’”

As 密歇根州立大学丹佛 celebrates its 50th anniversary year, what better time to ask those tough questions, to ensure that the University is true to its mission, 让皇冠官网网站都像瑞秋·B一样生活. 诺埃尔做到了——很真实.