… she grew in knowledge and her skills were sought after frequently with speaking engagements and awards. She received award after award from both the Navy and U.S. government. One of those awards was the U.S. Navy’s Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 1972, the Navy’s third-highest civilian award.
After being nominated for an award by the secretary of the Navy, Montague said someone threatened to kill her.
“My life was threatened. Death threats were real,” Montague said. “A white man asked me not to accept the award because a white woman had not received the award. I told him I am accepting this award.”
The young woman that was denied entry into the University of Arkansas found herself in places she never dreamed of.
“God sends you what you need,” she said. “People put obstacles in your way. You find a way to achieve despite the system not because of the system.