© 2024 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Apple's latest iOS (17.4) is preventing our livestreams from playing. We suggest you download the free Boise State Public Radio app & stream us there while we work to troubleshoot the issue.

Remembering Community Activist Marilyn Shuler

Boise State Public Radio

Boise community activist Marilyn Shuler passed away this morning. She was 77.

Shuler is best remembered for a number of accomplishments. She led the Idaho Human Rights Commission for 20 years, from 1978 to 1998. Former Governor Cecil Andrus called her “(an) influence at the moral center of Idaho.”

Afflicted by polio since age 10 and confined to a wheelchair, Shuler was nonetheless an energetic force in the community. She received a Master’s in Public Administration at Boise State University, where, accepting an honorary doctorate in 2014, she spoke about the need to fight inequality.

“More than one in five of our children in Idaho is growing up in poverty,” Shuler said. “Our average annual wage is 50th in the nation.”

Shuler co-founded the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial in Boise, fought the Aryan Nations in Northern Idaho and helped to improve public kindergartens statewide. She celebrated diversity and tolerance.

Shuler also served on many community boards, including the Advisory Board here at Boise State Public Radio.

For more local news, follow the KBSX newsroom on Twitter @KBSX915

Copyright 2017 Boise State Public Radio

I'm the GM here, meaning I'm responsible for our management and leadership. My most recent focus is on digital transformation, long-term financial stability and a more inclusive workplace. When I want a break from the news, I enjoy running in the Boise foothills.

You make stories like this possible.

The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.