Minnie Forte Brown is a master speech and language educator on the university level and has received several teaching excellence awards. She is retired and currently serving as an adjunct in the college of arts and sciences at North Carolina Central University. She is no stranger to public schools as she has been a school board member for Durham Public Schools for close to two decades. She was the president of the NC School Board Association and Southern Regional Director for the National School Board Association. Currently, she sits on the board of CREED, the Center for Racial Equity and Excellence in Education. And is the founder of the East Durham Children’s Initiative. This community nonprofit provides educational assistance to children and families living in a section of the city with the most unemployed, undereducated, and most poverty. She recently was honored with the dedication of the Minnie-Forte Brown staff development building in Durham, NC. Mrs. Brown continues to activate for children of color and underserved communities.