A little more than a year after her death, Rachel B. Noel’s legacy of bringing people together to foster meaningful community dialogue about education and human rights is still very much alive.
As Metro State President Stephen Jordan put it in his opening remarks, “When Rachel B. Noel passed away last February at the age of 90, the community lost a legend. She was, as she put it, a ‘very mild person.’ But 40 years ago, her fierce integrity and courage shook a city's racist educational structure to its core. She is universally credited with changing the way Denver students are educated.”
More than 200 people attended the 2009 Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professorship community event, held Feb. 17 at Shorter A.M.E. Church in Denver. The event featured an inspired keynote address from noted author, lecturer and educator Faith Adiele, who offered her thoughts about the evening’s theme of “Educational Empowerment: The Community Comes Together.”
Adiele talked about her family and her educational journey, paying special tribute to the positive example and love of education that her mother set for her. She also kept the crowd riveted with her tale of becoming the first African American Buddhist nun in Thailand, a story that is the basis for her award-winning 2004 travel memoir, “Meeting Faith.” In essence, it was one woman’s important story that ultimately holds broad significance to the greater collective human experience.
“I find that the more I tell my story, the more others share their stories with me,” said Adiele. “That [sharing experience] creates a momentum that redefines our collective history. So often, it’s the victors who write history whereas it’s the real heroes, like Dr. Noel, who don’t get to author the narrative, though they’re the ones creating the change. I think that telling personal stories is a way of educating both ourselves and others about who we are.”
To hear Adiele’s remarks in their entirety, please visit
http://www.mscd.edu/multimedia/assets/media/noel09_keynote/adiele_keynote.mp3.
As part of the evening’s program, Metro State’s Chorale, under the direction of Music Department Chair Michael Kornelson, joined forces with a large contingent of choir members from Denver’s African American church community in a number of rousing musical numbers. At one point, as the program wound to a close, many in the crowd were on their feet with hands outstretched in praise.
Four of Colorado’s African American pioneers were also honored at the event. Those that Metro State paid tribute to were Colorado House Speaker Terrance Carroll, former Denver Public Schools Superintendent Evie Dennis, Colorado Senate President Peter C. Groff and DNC 2008 Host Committee President Elbra Wedgeworth.
Even after drawing on the inspirational journey of Barack Obama to become the nation’s first African American president, Metro State’s Interim Associate to the President for Diversity Myron Anderson acknowledged the necessity for continued progress toward human equality and the value of pioneering spirit in advancing the city, state and country. Anderson talked at length about the racial and gender barriers that each of the honorees overcame to make their respective impact in education, politics, sports and healthcare.
“We still have much to do along a path that is not always clear,” said Anderson. “Fortunately for us, however, we have the shining examples of Evie Dennis, Elbra Wedgeworth, Peter Groff and Terrance Carroll– in addition to the legacy of our own Rachel Bassett Noel– to light the way for us.”
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