Rachel B. Noel, who grew up in the Jim Crow South, braved threats to her family and weathered bitter debates to desegregate Denver’s public schools in the 1970s, is leaving Denver after more than half a century.
On Tuesday, she was honored with a reception before she joins her daughter in California.
The 89-year-old was the first African-American woman elected to public office in Colorado when she became a Denver Public Schools board member in 1965.
Under threats to her and her family, she pushed for the passage of a resolution to integrate Denver schools. The Noel Resolution sparked fractious debate in the city but was passed by the school board in 1970. Three years later, a U.S. Supreme Court decision led to mandatory desegregation of Denver’s public schools. Federal court supervision of Denver’s desegregation plan ended in 1995.
“There was a time when hate was in the front seat, but working together and seeing each other as individuals, today that’s not so,” Noel said at the reception at Shorter Community AME Church.
Ed Benton, who served on the board with Noel, said his friend of more than 40 years “never changed. She has been the same intelligent, thoughtful, articulate person.”
“She never faltered in her conviction that it was in the best interest of the society and the children and Denver schools to achieve equality of educational opportunity, and for that she believed the schools should be integrated,” he said.
Noel grew up in Virginia but moved to Colorado, where she became a professor of sociology and African-American studies at Metropolitan State College of Denver in 1969 She chaired the African-American Studies Department until she retired in 1980.
A year later, the school named a visiting professorship after her. The Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professorship recognizes “multiculturalism, diversity and academic excellence,” a college spokesman said. Each year, the college fills the spot with a scholar or artist who teaches for a week. The professor earns $5,000.
This year’s Noel distinguished professor is Callie Crossley, who spent 13 years as a network television producer and won several top journalism awards. She also received an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature for “Eyes on the Prize,” which chronicled the civil rights struggle.
Crossley said it’s important for today’s generation to know that individuals can have an impact.
“(Noel) didn’t look around and say, ‘Who’s behind me.’ She said, ‘Get up.”‘
