Bring the Children to Me…
March 5th, 2010
I witnessed something miraculous yesterday. Minnijean Brown Trickey, one of nine students to integrate Central in 1957, stood with Jay Barth in front of the school’s iconic exterior for a photo shoot. Because of Jay’s lasting commitment to closing the academic achievement gap, Minnijean had chosen to endorse Jay’s candidacy for the State Senate. Five minutes into the shoot, a Park Ranger began guiding a tour of middle school students from the museum’s exit to the school’s entrance.
I would discover later that these students had spent the previous week studying the watershed moments of the Civil Rights Movement. Their teacher, Mrs. Mosley, organized the field trip as a sort of grand finale, and a grand finale it was.
As they approached I could hear the tour guide painting with words. “To your left was the line of soldiers blocking the nine black…” She stopped mid-sentence.
Mrs.Tricky grinned and rather humbly whispered…”Oh my, we’ve been made.” We took one last photo, and with that Minnijean raised both her arms and said, “Bring the children to me.”
If asked two days ago how a fourteen year old would react to meeting one of the “Little Rock Nine” I would’ve said, “Trick question. They wouldn’t know who they were,” and I would have been wrong.
The first student to reach Minnijean was weeping. “I can’t believe I get to tell you this…thank you…I love you…because of you my friend and I go to the same school.” She motioned towards a white girl standing shyly a few feet away.
Everyone got a picture. Everyone got a hug – including me. It will remain one of the single most rewarding days of my life.
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