Rachel B. Noel
Encyclopedia
Rachel Bassette Noel was an African American
educator, politician and civil rights
leader. She is best known for the "Noel Resolution", which integrated the Denver city school district.
) and earned a master's degree in sociology
from Fisk University
. She married Dr. Edmond F. Noel, a physician who practiced medicine in the Five Points
community, with whom she had a son, Edmond "Buddy" Noel, and a daughter, Angela Noel.
In 2007, Noel moved from Denver to Oakland, California to live with her daughter. Noel died in February 2008.
Board of Education
. With her successful campaign and election, she became the first African American woman elected to public office in Colorado.
The Noel Resolution was presented to the Board of Education on April 25, 1968, and called for the Denver area school district superintendent to develop a plan for integration, providing equal educational opportunity for all children. Public opposition was high, and Noel and her family received many threatening phone calls and hate mail. The resolution was passed in February, 1970.
Noel was a professor at Metropolitan State College of Denver
, where she founded and chaired the African-American Studies Department from 1971-80. Noel was also a member of the Chancellor's Advisory Committee for the Health Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder
and University of Colorado at Denver and Commissioner of the Denver Housing Authority
Noel served on the Advisory Board of the United States Civil Rights Commission.
and was appointed by former governor Richard Lamm to serve on the University of Colorado Board of Regents in 1976. She was elected statewide to a six-year term on the board in 1978 and served as chair of the board for one year.
Noel was honored with the formation of the Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Professorship in 1981 at Metropolitan State College of Denver. A visiting professor is named each year to conduct classes, seminars and workshops for students, faculty and the community under the program. Noel Professors have included such luminaries as Princeton Professor Cornel West
, international philanthropist Julius Coles, pianist Billy Taylor, author Iyanla Vanzant
, former president of Spelman College
Johnnetta B. Cole, jazz singer Dianne Reeves
, the late actor and civil rights activist Ossie Davis
and executive editor of Ebony magazine, Lerone Bennett, Jr.
.
Noel was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award in 1990 and was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame
in 1996. The Rachel B Noel middle school in Denver is named in her honor.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
educator, politician and civil rights
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
leader. She is best known for the "Noel Resolution", which integrated the Denver city school district.
Personal life
Noel's parents were both college graduates. Her father, A.W.E. Bassette, Jr., was a lawyer. From an early age, her parents instilled in her the importance of a good education. Noel graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree from Hampton Institute (now known as Hampton UniversityHampton University
Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It was founded by black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association after the American Civil War to provide education to freedmen.-History:...
) and earned a master's degree in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
from Fisk University
Fisk University
Fisk University is an historically black university founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers started as a group of students who performed to earn enough money to save the school at a critical time of financial shortages. They toured to raise funds to...
. She married Dr. Edmond F. Noel, a physician who practiced medicine in the Five Points
Five Points (Denver)
Five Points is one of Denver, Colorado's oldest historic neighborhoods adjacent to the downtown central business district. The neighborhood is located in the area of Northeast Denver where the original downtown street grid meets the neighborhood street grid of the first Denver suburbs...
community, with whom she had a son, Edmond "Buddy" Noel, and a daughter, Angela Noel.
In 2007, Noel moved from Denver to Oakland, California to live with her daughter. Noel died in February 2008.
Accomplishments
In 1965, Noel became the first African American to serve on the Denver Public SchoolsDenver Public Schools
The Denver County School District No. 1, more commonly known as the Denver Public Schools , is the public school system in the City and County of Denver, Colorado, United States.-History:...
Board of Education
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
. With her successful campaign and election, she became the first African American woman elected to public office in Colorado.
The Noel Resolution was presented to the Board of Education on April 25, 1968, and called for the Denver area school district superintendent to develop a plan for integration, providing equal educational opportunity for all children. Public opposition was high, and Noel and her family received many threatening phone calls and hate mail. The resolution was passed in February, 1970.
Noel was a professor at Metropolitan State College of Denver
Metropolitan State College of Denver
The Metropolitan State College of Denver is a four-year college and now offers certain Graduate programs located in Denver, Colorado, United States. As of 2009, Metro State had the second-largest enrollment of undergraduates of any college in Colorado...
, where she founded and chaired the African-American Studies Department from 1971-80. Noel was also a member of the Chancellor's Advisory Committee for the Health Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
and University of Colorado at Denver and Commissioner of the Denver Housing Authority
Noel served on the Advisory Board of the United States Civil Rights Commission.
Honors
Noel received an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree, awarded by the University of DenverUniversity of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
and was appointed by former governor Richard Lamm to serve on the University of Colorado Board of Regents in 1976. She was elected statewide to a six-year term on the board in 1978 and served as chair of the board for one year.
Noel was honored with the formation of the Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Professorship in 1981 at Metropolitan State College of Denver. A visiting professor is named each year to conduct classes, seminars and workshops for students, faculty and the community under the program. Noel Professors have included such luminaries as Princeton Professor Cornel West
Cornel West
Cornel Ronald West is an American philosopher, author, critic, actor, civil rights activist and prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America....
, international philanthropist Julius Coles, pianist Billy Taylor, author Iyanla Vanzant
Iyanla Vanzant
Iyanla Vanzant is an inspirational speaker, New Thought spiritual teacher, author, and television personality. She is known primarily for her books, for her eponymous talk show, and for her frequent appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and on Oprah's Lifeclass webcasts.Vanzant was born in...
, former president of Spelman College
Spelman College
Spelman College is a four-year liberal arts women's college located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The college is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman was the first historically black female...
Johnnetta B. Cole, jazz singer Dianne Reeves
Dianne Reeves
Dianne Reeves is an American jazz singer. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado.-Early life:Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan to a very musical family. Her father, who died when she was two years old, was also a singer. Her mother, Vada Swanson, played trumpet. A cousin, George Duke, is a...
, the late actor and civil rights activist Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis was an American film actor, director, poet, playwright, writer, and social activist.-Early years:...
and executive editor of Ebony magazine, Lerone Bennett, Jr.
Lerone Bennett, Jr.
Lerone Bennett, Jr. is an African-American scholar, author and social historian, known for his revisionist analysis of race relations in the United States. His works include "When the Wind Blows" and "History of Us".-Biography:...
.
Noel was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award in 1990 and was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame
Colorado Women's Hall of Fame
The Colorado Women's Hall of Fame is a non-profit, volunteer organization that recognizes women who have contributed to history of the U.S. state of Colorado.-History:...
in 1996. The Rachel B Noel middle school in Denver is named in her honor.
See also
- Brown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
- Education in the United StatesEducation in the United StatesEducation in the United States is mainly provided by the public sector, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. Child education is compulsory.Public education is universally available...
- Plessy v. FergusonPlessy v. FergusonPlessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 , is a landmark United States Supreme Court decision in the jurisprudence of the United States, upholding the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in private businesses , under the doctrine of "separate but equal".The decision was handed...
- Racial segregationRacial segregationRacial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...