Hornet News Update

Tuesday, July 3, 2007 Back to the HNU archive

Civil rights figure named Bonner and Bonner lecturer

Minnijean Brown Trickey, one of the “Little Rock Nine” who became a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement, will present the Bonner and Bonner Diversity Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, at Emporia State University, just days before the 50th anniversary of the 1957 desegregation of Little Rock’s Central High School.

Brown Trickey’s speech, “Return to Little Rock,” will focus on the events of Sept. 25, 1957, when the 16-year-old and eight other students defied death threats, hostile white demonstrators and even the Arkansas National Guard, to attend the all-white Little Rock Central High School. Shortly after her speech at Emporia State University, the national spotlight will follow Brown Trickey as the nation commemorates the 50th anniversary in Little Rock.

“It is an honor to have Mrs. Trickey on our campus,” said ESU President Michael R. Lane. “Her words will be a valuable reminder to all us, that we must remember this nation’s past while striving for equality. The Little Rock Nine took a courageous stand, and in doing so they took part in one of the defining moments of the civil rights movement. Their courage perfectly reflects the spirit and purpose of the Bonner and Bonner series.”

The Bonner and Bonner Diversity Lecture Series was established in 1992 in honor of Thomas and Mary Bonner, Emporia State University’s first and second African American faculty members. The series, created to recognize Emporia State University’s commitment to diversity, has featured nationally known speakers such as author Cristina Garcia, NAACP chairman Julian Bond, civil rights lawyer Morris Dees and Muslim politics expert Vali Nasr.

Brown Trickey’s role in 1957 changed the lives of African Americans around the country, but it was just the beginning of a long career as a crusader for civil rights. She served in the Clinton administration as deputy assistant secretary for workforce diversity at the U.S. Department of the Interior. As a consultant, she has trained national and international audiences in anti-racism, diversity, feminist research, cross-cultural communications and organizational change. Read more of the story.

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Homecoming 2007 will be here before you know it!

Week: Oct. 15 – 20

Theme: Still Like That Old Time Black and Gold! Happy Fourth of July!

Football: ESU vs. Southwest Baptist, Oct. 20

Musical: “Little Shop of Horrors”

More events

ESU at Kansas State Fair, Hutchinson, Sept. 7-16
Fan Fair, Hutchinson, Sept. 7
Family Day, Sept. 15
South Central Scholarship Golf Scramble, Hesston, Sept. 23

For more information on Homecoming and upcoming events, contact your alumni office at (620) 341-5440 or sacpc@emporia.edu. See you there!

Three new scholarships at ESU honor teaching profession

The leader of a long-time Emporia business has started a scholarship for Emporia State University secondary education students as a way to give back to the community in which his family’s business flourished.

The spirit behind the Kenneth B. Thomas Sr. Family Scholarship was first born when Kenneth Thomas returned from WWII with a heart of gratitude, giving him the willingness to help others. Thomas moved to Emporia with his wife, Dolly, in 1945, to assist his father, Joseph Thomas, in building the family business. Today, Thomas Transfer and Storage is operated in Emporia, Wichita and Houston, Texas.

Meanwhile, two other scholarships – the Francis and Phyllis Sanders Teaching Scholarship and the Twila J. Stone Teaching Scholarship – were recently created to support students of ESU’s Teachers College, a college labeled as one of the nation’s top four teacher preparation programs in a study by a former Columbia University dean and education expert. Read more of the story.

ESU graduates featured on NCATE website

Two Emporia State University graduates are featured on the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) website. ESU graduates Sara Turner and Matthew Lafko provided testimonials about ESU’s nationally recognized teacher preparation program and how it prepared them to be successful classroom teachers.

University Advancement