Author, former journalist and Lone Star College-Greenspoint Center English professor Mignette Dorsey will discuss her book “Speak Truth to Power: The Story of Charles Patrick, A Civil Rights Pioneer,” which focuses on her father, Civil Rights pioneer Charles Patrick and how he tackled corrupt police powers in the deep south in 1954. Dorsey’s speaking engagements are part of the college’s Black History Month calendar of events.

The story developed in 1954 in segregated Birmingham when Patrick was assaulted by two white policemen. The incident sparked rare unity among white and black citizens alike, demanding for the officers to be terminated from their positions. In an unprecedented move, the two policemen were fired and an F.B.I. investigation was conducted. These series of events resulted in a federal indictment and justice was served to Patrick’s assailants.

Dorsey has three events scheduled: Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. at the LSC-Victory Center, room 102, 4141 Victory Drive; Monday, Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. at LSC-Greenspoint Center, room 306, 250 N. Sam Houston Parkway East; and Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. in the LSC-North Harris Library GroupSpot, Third Floor, 2700 W.W. Thorne Drive. These events are free and open to the public.

Author Mignette (Patrick) Dorsey’s passion to share her father’s story developed at an early age, as she is the youngest daughter of the book’s main character, Charles Patrick. Her book, which took fifteen years of research to write, looks into the inner workings of civil rights attorneys in the early 1950s and features other unheralded white and black Americans who have made an impact on history.

Charles Patrick died in 2014 at the age of 96 and played a pivotal role in the early part of the Civil Rights Movement. Now, through the words of his daughter, his story still lives on.

For more information about Dorsey’s presentation or other Black History Month events, visit LoneStar.edu/Black HistoryMonth.

Lone Star College-North Harris is located at 2700 W.W. Thorne Drive, one-half mile south of FM 1960 East, between Aldine-Westfield and Hardy Roads. For more information about the college, call 281.618.5400 or visit LoneStar.edu/NorthHarris.

Lone Star College offers high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education to 98,000 students each semester. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area with an annual economic impact of $3.1 billion. LSC consists of six colleges, eight centers, two university centers, Lone Star Corporate College and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.

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