While their stories and struggle are much different on the surface, it points to the fact that America's battle with racial equality and segregation is far from over.
"This country has demonstrated over time that it is not prepared to operate as an integrated society," Terrence Roberts, one of the nine, told The Associated Press.
Little Rock Nine student Minnijean Brown Trickey put it this way: "Here we are in 2007 and we're still playing the same game."
This week Little Rock will observe the landmark integration of Central High School's 50th anniversary with a series of events that include a speech from former president and Arkansas-native Bill Clinton.
On Sept. 25, 1957, nine black students were led by National Guardsmen into the all-white Central High, and into the history books, in their fight to integrate public schools.
Not unlike the Jena Six, TV cameras rolled, and the story made headlines around the world.
Although the Little Rock School Board was behind the integration, then Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus believed the move would lead to violence between blacks and whites and that the mixing of races in the classroom came too soon after the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 ruling that made segregated classrooms unconstitutional.
This year, the Little Rock School Board has found itself sharply divided on racial lines.
The board's four black members, voted to fire Superintendent Roy Brooks, who also is black. The board's three white members supported Brooks.
The school will be featured in an HBO documentary Tuesday, "Little Rock Central: 50 Years Later."
+ Full Story: 50 Years Since Little Rock Integration
+ Timeline: Milestones in African American Education
+ VIDEO: Legacy of Little Rock Nine Looms in Arkansas
Comments: (8)
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By: Pamela Hightower on 9/24/2007 11:55AM
I am a graduate of Little Rock Central High (class of 1987), this school means so much to me. I had parents that taught us about racial equality and my eldest brother Jo Nathan Sanders was the school's first black senior class president. I am disenheartened by the recent actions in Jena, La. We need to taech OUR children our true history, because the public schools are failing at this job.
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By: AZ-P on 9/24/2007 2:44PM
It is such an honor and blessing to see the "Little Rock Nine" still alive and fighting; what a class act! It was such a huge feat when Hazel Massery (whom was shouting at the teenaged Elizabeth Eckford) apologized for her moment of racial hatred. I wish the world could live in peace and harmony regardless of race. Live. Laugh. Love. AZ-P
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By: HAM318 on 9/27/2007 6:12PM
I thought that the Little Rock Nine exhibited class and dignity and that they should continue to be commended for keeping their heads up during adversity.
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By: Sncikerz on 9/25/2007 9:42PM
This is really amzing black power!:):)
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By: Carola on 9/26/2007 5:11PM
God had a reason for these brave "soldiers" to play the role they did. It's a blessing they could all have this reunion. They need more than pretty speeches, though, from former President Clinton. He should support reparations for them and all blacks. All he could do was apologize. There was never any mention of compensation for the damages done to these people and the ones that couldn't have a reunion, the ones lynched and murdered. Even today, the Klan is not treated like a terrorist organization but a social club. Terroristic threats have been made on the internet against the lives of the Jena Six, but authorities can't find anywhere in the law that says they're illegal.
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By: Bessie McCall on 9/29/2007 12:51AM
I am so proud and thankful for each of you! May the Lord continue to bless and keep you in His loving care, like He always has!
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By: G REDD on 9/30/2007 8:39AM
THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF THESE BRAVE PIONEERS AND THEIR PARENTS, SOME REAL CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE IN OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.AT LEAST AS FAR AS INFACTO
SEGREGATION IS CONCERNED, BUT 50 YEARS LATER THE
EFFECTS OF SEGREGATION ARE STILL A REALITY WITHIN OUR SOCIETY. I READ A STORY ABOUT A SCHOOL IN THE
SOUTH THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR SCHOOLS HISTORY, HELD A INTERGRATED PROM. I WAS SCHOCKED.
UNTIL I REALIZED THAT THIS YEAR MARKED THE FIRST TIME IN ABOUT 35 YEARS THAT MY GRADUATION CLASS HELD A INTERGRATED CLASS REUNION. MY HIGH SCHOOL IS LOCATED IN BLUE ISLAND, ILL. SOME CHANGES JUST COME SLOWER THAN OTHERS, I GUESS. I LIVED IN AN ALL BLACK COMMUNITY (ROBBINS,ILL)AND WE HAD OUR OWN CAMPUS FOR OUR FRESHMAN AND SOUTHMORE CLASSES.WE WERE THEN BUSSED TO A 99% WHITE TOWN (BLUEISLAND,ILL.) FOR OUR JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR. RACIAL TENSION AT THE TIME (1967) KEPT BLACK AND WHITE STUDENTS DIVIDED AND WE HAD SO LITTLE SOCIAL INTERACTION THAT IT SEEMED ONLY NATURAL TO HOLD SEPERATE EVENTS.
NOW,WHILE THERE ARE AN ABUNDANCE OF INTERGRATED SCHOOLS NATION WIDE, THERE STILL REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DEFACTO SEGREGATION WITHIN OUR NATION, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE INNER CITY,HERE
IN CHICAGO. WELL EPUIPTED AND STAFFED SCHOOLS, IN THE MORE WELL TO DO DISTRICTS ,AND JUST THE OPPOSITE IN MANY OTHERS. I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT YOUR HIGHER PORTION OF DROP OUT WILL BE FOUND IN THE MORE ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED DISTRICTS AND I AM CERTAIN THAT THIS HAS A DIRECT CORALATION TO
UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE CRIME RATE. UNTIL SOME METHOD
OF MORE EVENLY DISTRIBUTING FUNDS AND RESOURCES IS
FOUND. SEPERATE AND EQUAL WILL NEVER BE A REALITY.
IN CONCLUSION I AM HEART-BROKEN THAT SO MANY OF OUR
TEEN-AGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS ARE NOT MORE MOTIVATED
TO ATTEND HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE AND TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF ALL EDUCATIONAL OPPURTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THEM. SINCE LACK OF EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION CAN ONLY HINDER THEIR FUTURE EMPLOYMENT OR CAREER GOALS. I ONLY HOPE THAT BY
RETELLING THIS STORY AND REMINDING OUR YOUNGER
GENERATION OF THOSE WHO HAVE FOUGHT AND YES,EVEN
GAVE THEIR VERY LIVES TO AFFORD THEM THESE OPPURTUNITIES,THEY WILL TRUELY UNDERSTAND HOW YOU AND SO MANY OTHERS HAVE STOOD IN THE GAP TO MAKE THESE THINGS POSSIBLE. I WAS 9 YEARS OLD WHEN YOU ALL MARCHED INTO THE LIONS DEN AND STRUCK A BLOW FOR ALL THE DOWN TRODDENED AND DEPRIVED. I WAS AFRAID FOR YOU BUT, I WAS AND AM SO PROUD OF YOU. THANK YOU! EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ,I AM SURE, HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN THE HEARTS OF THE MULTITUDE OF THE GRATEFUL.
"BE WELL AND MAY "GOD" BLESS YOU ALL"
GEORGE REDD
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By: kat2 on 9/30/2007 7:17PM
All the brothers running behnd these white women get a
good look at the white woman in this picture. Then
look at the sister who very well could have been your sister, mother, or grandmother. That's all I'm saying.
Peace
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