Dress worn by Minnijean Brown in 1958 for the Spingarn Medal Award Ceremony
date: label: date made
content: 1958
name: label: wearer
content: Brown, Minnijean
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This yellow, floral patterned, tea length patterned dress was worn by Minnijean Brown during the Spingarn Award Ceremony in 1958. The Spingarn Medal is a gold medal that has been awarded annually since 1915 by the NAACP. According to the NAACP, the purpose is “to call the attention of the American people to the existence of distinguished merit and achievement among Americans of African descent and secondly to serve as a reward for such achievement, and as a stimulus to the ambition of youth of color.” Usually only one medal is given out per year, but in 1958, Daisy Bates, the Civil Rights activist who assisted the students in the desegragtion attempt at Central High School,and each of the Little Rock Nine students became recipients. They received the medal “For their pioneer role in upholding the basic ideals of American democracy in the face of continuing harassment and constant threats of bodily injury.”
label: Description (Brief)
content: In 1959, after her suspension from Central High, Minnijean transferred to New Lincoln in New York City and again wore this dress at a school dance. The dress has a fitted bodice with a scoop back and a zipper closure. There is a photograph of Minnijean in this dress at the award ceremony in the museum's reference files.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Civil Rights Movement
label: general subject association
content: Education
label: related event
content: Little Rock Integration Crisis
label: related event
content: Spingarn Medal Award Ceremony
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Education
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Minnijean Brown Trickey
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2015.0238.02
label: accession number
content: 2015.0238
label: catalog number
content: 2015.0238.02
objectType: label: Object Name
content: dress
label: Object Type
content: Dress
label: Object Type
content: Main Dress
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: fabric (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: shoulder: 36.7 cm; 14 7/16 in
label: Measurements
content: zipper: 29.2 cm; 11 1/2 in
label: Measurements
content: waist to hem: 61.5 cm; 24 7/32 in
label: Measurements
content: bust: 43.5 cm; 17 1/8 in
label: Measurements
content: waist: 36 cm; 14 3/16 in
label: Measurements
content: overall; overall, mounted: 38 3/4 in x 18 in x 18 in; 98.425 cm x 45.72 cm x 45.72 cm