Clinton School alum Spirit Trickey, now on the staff of the Little Rock Central National Historic Site Visitor Center and Museum, is the daughter of Little Rock Nine member Minnijean Brown Trickey.

Members of the Little Rock Nine have visited the school on several occasions, including for the opening press conference for the 50th anniversary commemoration of the desegregation crisis in 2007. A signed poster with all the Little Rock Nine’s signatures is displayed in the lobby of Sturgis Hall.

Clinton School Dean Skip Rutherford coordinated the 40th anniversary commemoration in 1997 where Mrs. Daisy Bates and all of the Nine participated. Mrs. Bates died prior to the 50th anniversary in 2007.

Trickey

Clinton School student Spirit Trickey (’10) continues to impact the community.  Last weekend, Trickey hosted the 4thAnnual “Reel” Civil Rights Film Festival, a partnership between the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site and Market Street Cinema. 

The two-day festival featured a wide range of films and filmmakers, from auteur Spike Lee to Dallas-area disc jockey Chris Clay. Trickey and National Park Service staff facilitated guided discussions following the films provoking discussion on a diverse range of topics including immigration, homophobia, unjust working conditions and racism.

Trickey tapped one of her classmates for support and insight during the event. Clinton School student Regina Wilkerson (’10) spoke on a panel following the film “The Souls of Black Girls” – a provocative news documentary that takes a critical look at media images of African American women.  Wilkerson shared candid personal insight about how to empower young black women and resist the pervasive negative images in hip hop music videos, movies and in society in general.

“It is important for young people to have positive alternatives to what society presents to them,” Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson also spoke about the reverence given to women in Zanzibar, the site of her Clinton School International Service Project last summer.  The respect and honor of women contrasts with the portrayal of women in western culture, Wilkerson said.  She encouraged young black women to unearth their roots and internalize some of those powerful values.

“Regina’s insight was invaluable and I am grateful that she shared her wisdom with the audience,” Trickey said. 

Trickey, the daughter of Little Rock Nine member Minnijean Brown-Trickey, was recently tagged as a “History Maker in the Making” by TheGrio.com, a website affiliated with msnbc.com that is dedicated to African American news and popular culture.

This post was authored by Clinton School student Todd Moore (’10).

Trickey-Rowan

Clinton School student Spirit Trickey (’10) has been named a “History Maker in the Making” by TheGrio.com, a website affiliated with msnbc.com that is dedicated to African American news and popular culture.

The daughter of Little Rock Nine member Minnijean Brown-Trickey, Spirit is recognized for her work as a park ranger at the Central High National Historic Site where shares the story of her mother and the eight other black students who faced an angry mob to integrate the all-white high school in 1957.

Spirit joins 100 others – including musician Wyclef Jean, tennis star Serena Williams and Oprah Winfrey – on the list of African Americans who are expected to shape the future.

In an interview with Matt Lauer on NBC’s Today Show, TheGrio.com managing editor David Wilson singled out Spirit for specific mention.

“Here’s a young woman who moved from Canada to Little Rock to become a park ranger,” Wilson said. “She’s pretty much carrying on the legacy of her mother.”

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Here’s an excerpt from an article about Spirit on TheGrio.com:

Born and raised in Canada, Trickey-Rowan moved to Little Rock when she was 22, and began working as an interpretive park ranger for the Central High School National Historic Site. In 2002, she wrote a play in college retelling the story of the Little Rock Nine from the perspective of her mother as a 15-year-old girl.

“From a historical context, you don’t get to [see] what it was like every day… father losing his job, bomb threats,” tells Trickey-Rowan.

The docudrama entitled, “One Ninth”, was later produced by the Arkansas Repertory Theater. The theater used it for its educational tour in 2009, putting on performances and workshops at schools all across the state. Trickey-Rowan says she’s now working to get the play published, so educators can use it as a tool in the classroom. In the meantime, she continues to advance her own education. In May, she will graduate with a Master’s degree from the Clinton School of Public Service.

Click here for the full article.

There were 20 universities and seven service organizations represented from Hawaii to New York and from Utah to Florida.  Little Rock representatives included Clinton School faculty member Marie Lindquist and students Lindsey Johnson, Patrick Banks, LaTonya Wilson, David Monteith, Sarah Leer, Adam Moreland, Kohl Fallin and me. In addition, UALR, which is co-sponsoring the event with the Clinton School, was represented by staff member Betsy Hart and student Jessie Garrett.

The working weekend began with an introductory dinner with guest speakers Dean Skip Rutherford and Minnijean Brown Trickey. Conference planning included brainstorming potential conference sponsors, developing a workshop proposal form, determining a conference marketing strategy, considering potential keynote speakers and more.

Other highlights included a tour of Heifer Village, gumbo made by Clinton School volunteer Bob Gee, visiting the Peabody ducks and dinner at Gusano’s. On Sunday afternoon, a few students were also able to visit the Central High School National Historic Site before heading home.

The IMPACT Conference complements the spirit and curriculum of the Clinton School – a primary factor in the selection of Little Rock for the first time as the conference site. The participants, between 500 and 1,000 college students from around the country, will spend part of their spring breaks attending this conference to gain inspiration, build partnerships and learn new skills to tackle the tough issues in their communities. 

To support Jennifer, please consider attending a silent auction on April 11 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Clinton School. The auction will feature an interesting array of items from Arkansas and around the world, including original artwork created by Tanzanian children served by Amani. An autographed copy of President Clinton’s autobiography My Life, a dinner for two with Little Rock Nine member Minnijean Brown Trickey, and concert posters signed by musician Ben Harper will be among the items available for auction.

A tax-deductible donation of $20 is requested for admission to the event. Those that would like to donate but cannot attend, may send checks payable to “Friends of Amani U.S.” to:

Jennifer Hicks
Clinton School of Public Service
Sturgis Hall
1200 President Clinton Ave.
Little Rock, AR 72201

To view a video about the work of Amani and learn more about their efforts to help the street children of Moshi, visit their website at www.amanikids.org.

Minnijean Brown Trickey is one of nine African-American students to integrate Little Rock Central High School in 1957 – the nine students later became known as the Little Rock Nine. Brown-Trickey is also Spirit’s mother.  In the program titled “From Dreams to Reality: How Far We’ve Come,” Brown-Trickey said that as a young girl who grew up during segregation, she never could have imagined that she would have lived to see the day when our country would elect an African-American as president.  She expressed pride and enthusiasm about the election of President Obama, but she cautioned the group in attendance not to become complacent and ignore civil rights violations that still exist today. 

Brown-Trickey also addressed the educational inequalities that continue to plague our nation.

“We need to rethink education and begin teaching our children at birth,” she said. “Children are our most important resource, so education should be an urgent concern for the entire society.” 

Many audience members shared their own personal stories of integration, as well as their own experiences as educators in the Mississippi River Delta during the Q&A session that followed Brown-Trickey’s speech.  Spirit and I are most appreciative to everyone that was able to attend and to the people at the Clinton School, BGACDC, the Bethlehem District and especially Minnijean Brown-Trickey for making this an unforgettable Black History Month program for the residents of Marvell.  

The program will be held at noon at the Boys, Girls, Adults Community Development Center (BGACDC) where Trickey Rowan and Dunkley are helping out as part of the Clinton School’s Practicum public service program.

Brown Trickey, mother of Trickey Rowan, will discuss her experiences as one of the first black students to integrate all-white Little Rock Central High School in 1957. The Helena Daily World has a preview story about the program on its website. CLICK HERE to read it.

We’ll have a report up from one of the students after the events tomorrow.

“Selected from The Rep’s 2007 Voices at the River play development program for emerging African American and Latino playwrights, “One Ninth” is a powerful exploration of human dignity and racial conflict as seen through the eyes of teenagers,” according to a news release. “‘One Ninth’ features the story of the playwright’s mother, Minnijean Brown Trickey, one of the students (the Little Rock Nine) who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957.

To read the full article, click HERE.

The Arkansas Rep is planning to take “One Ninth” to 10 Arkansas communities, part of a special educational tour including workshops for students. To see the full tour schedule and purchase your tickets, click HERE.

The play will premiere on Monday, January 5, at Wildwood Park for the Arts in Little Rock, Ark. Expect to see Dean Rutherford, along with several faculty and students in attendance. We are all very proud of Spirit.

Clinton School student Spirit Trickey-Rowan, Rebecca Goodlow and Jessica Green.

After touring the visitor’s center and the high school, we were privileged to have a private conversation with a legend in her own right, a member of  the Little Rock Nine, Minnijean Brown-Trickey. She educated us on the past, as well as the present challenges, and in essence, gave us a charge to make a difference in the world. Her authenticity was palpable and her passion infectious. Although we had no “official” class today, we were truly schooled by not only a past, but a present day hero. Many thanks to Spirit, Krystal, and our professor for the day, Minnijean Brown-Trickey. What a great experience!

Spirit Trickey-Rowen lectures her classmates at the Central High National Historic Site where she works as a park ranger.

The Clinton School students in front of historic Little Rock Central High School.