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Cathy Wurzer
St. Paul, Minn.

Rochester school honors civil rights activist

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This weekend, residents of Rochester, Minn., will dedicate a new elementary school which is named in honor of George Gibbs, a civil rights activist, a military veteran, an entrepreneur -- and the first African-American to set foot on Antarctica.

The honor represents quite a change for Rochester. When Gibbs moved to the city in 1963, it was not a welcoming place for African-Americans like him.

Gibbs was a civil rights activist, a military veteran, an entrepreneur and he was the first African-American to set foot on Antarctica.

Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer spoke with his widow, Joyce Gibbs, who still lives in Rochester.