Civil-rights icons in Valley this week

My job allows a few perks, and one is meeting people who do cool things.

Without my job, I might not meet them.

With my job, doors open to many.

The past few years, it’s been fun talking, listening and learning with Penny Wells. Her name is not widespread in the tier of names who write big checks, build big buildings, sign big laws or tackle big players.

But her heart, passion and conviction are as big as you get for a pivotal Valley need – conscience and acceptance. I wrote a bit about her last spring.

This week, starting today at 3 p.m., is her Super Bowl and her Oscars, and she would love for you to join her. It’s Nonviolence Week in Ohio – a championship for the conscience.

Her stars this week are equally quiet by name – Minnijean Brown Trickey, Simeon Wright and Jimmy Webb. But their life’s footsteps are triumphant.

Brown Trickey was among nine teenagers in Arkansas in 1957 who braved the hate, violence and ignorance of their city and segment of America to integrate Little Rock Central High School. History knows them as “The Little Rock Nine.”

Wright was sleeping in bed as a boy in Mississippi 1955 when white thugs invaded his home and snatched from the bedroom his visiting Chicago cousin, Emmett Till. His body would surface a few days later. The horrid image of Till’s mutilated body would make its way across U.S. media in the following weeks (thanks to journalist and Youngstown son Simeon Booker.) A country grew more disgusted with the hatred.

And Webb was in the middle of the melee that you saw if you watched the movie “Selma.”

Starting today and continuing all week, Brown Trickey, Wright and Webb will have many center stages in the Valley as Penny’s Nonviolence Week unfolds.

The week was originated by Wells’ city students from her Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past group. They made this week an official statewide designation signed into law by Gov. John Kasich. I have no doubt that when the law and the idea were first presented to Kasich, he said “Huh? Who?” That was two years ago.

Here’s the schedule for the week. It’s mostly free through Wells’ fundraising:

The Emmett Till Exhibit from Delta University (Mississippi) is on display at the Tyler Historical Center.

Today at 3 p.m., the fifth annual Nonviolence Parade and Rally begins at Wick Avenue and Wood Street and continues down Wick and Market to the Covelli Centre. A pot-luck supper with Sojourn students and invited guests will be at Richard Brown Memorial United Methodist Church at 5 p.m.

Monday, Jeff Steinberg of the national Sojourn to the Past showcase for civil rights will speak at Youngstown State University and East and Chaney high schools.

Tuesday, Steinberg and Brown Trickey will speak at John Badger and Crestview high schools and the Jewish Community Center.

At 7 p.m., Brown Trickey will be featured at YSU’s Chestnut Room where a film of her life called “Journey to Little Rock” will be shown. She will talk afterward.

Wednesday, Brown Trickey will speak to YSU students in the Beeghly School of Education. At 1:30 p.m., FBI Special Agent Dale Killinger will speak at Choffin Career Center. He reopened the Emmett Till Case in 2005 seeking criminal prosecution.

At 7 p.m., Wright and Killinger will speak about Till at the Tyler Historical Center. The Emmett Till traveling exhibit will be displayed.

Thursday and Friday will be a two-day youth retreat in Geneva, Ohio, with approximately 100 students from various high schools in the Mahoning Valley.

All times and places are on The Vindicator’s Facebook page and on vindy.com.

It’s a great week of conscience.

Todd Franko is editor of The Vindicator. He likes emails about stories and our newspaper. Email him at tfranko@vindy.com. He blogs, too, on Vindy.com. Tweet him, too, at @tfranko.