Welcome our distinguished guest for todays commemoration program. Nancy ruso. Michael moor r, superintendent of the Little Rock School district. The director of hutchins senter for African American research at harvard university. The honorable mark, mayor of the city of little rock. Cameron shawly midwest regional director, National Park service. The honorable asa hutchinson, governor of arkansas. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the 42nd president of the United States, William Jefferson clinton. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, please give a special welcome to the little rock nine. Dr. Patila bills. Elizabe elizabeth egbert. Earnest green. Gloria ray, carlata renear. Dr. Terrence roberts. Mini jane brown tricky. Thelma mothershed, wier. And join us in remembering the late Jefferson Thomas. Ladies and gentlemen, the little rock nine. [ applause ] please welcome to the podium our mc for today. An educator and Community Leader and the first African American to attend Little Rock Ce
Century. Nine from little rock is a 1964 u. S. Information agency film. Narrated by jefferson thomas. One of the nine African American students who in 1957 enrolled in little rock arkansas all white central high school. Arkansas governor prevented the students from tanding class. Until president eisenhower sent 1,000 u. S. Army troops and federalized the 10,000 strong Arkansas National guard to restore order and enforce school desegregation. In the film mr. Thomas and several of the little rock nine reflect on their experience. Life beyond high school sp hopes for the future. The film won an Academy Award in 1965. Where do you begin . Where do you look . Like an ancient battlefield the ground is silent. Though people still move in familiar places. Now in this field, negro and white run together. Remembering not how it was in little rock, arkansas in 1957. Perhaps it is best tr those today to look where theyre going and not where they have been. But when youre a dark man in a country wh
High school. The grounds youre standing on became world famous in 1957. Because the first nine black students walked up the steps. On september 25. Our exhibits put the little rock central high crisis in the context of the greater civil rights muchlt movement. They begin with slavery and the institution and the fact that blacks had absolutely to rights. Considered property. And even three fifths a person. Not even a full human being. If you have an institution like that, that flourishes for hundreds of years, even when the laws change. Its still imbedded in peoples minds and psych. So we think its important to set the tone for what happened in the later years. For example a very Important Supreme Court case we focus on is the 1896. Which established the separate but equal doctrine. Putting a stamp a legal stamp on jim crow laws and black codes that flourished throughout the united states. We could be here for very long time creating this very long list. Everything from Transportation S
Desegregation. In the film mr. Thomas and several of the little rock nine reflect on their experience. Life beyond high school sp hopes for the future. The film won an Academy Award in 1965. Where do you begin . Where do you look . Like an ancient battlefield the ground is silent. Though people still move in familiar places. Now in this field, negro and white run together. Remembering not how it was in little rock, arkansas in 1957. Perhaps it is best tr those today to look where theyre going and not where they have been. But when youre a dark man in a country where the negro is demanding more and more and equal chance, you have the right to look back to discover if you are really moving forward or if the world is just moving beneath your feet. I have a special reason for looking back. My name is jefferson thomas. I am one of the nine from little rock. Theres nothing strange in seeing Nine American children walking to school on a september morning. But this was a special morning and a
Integration. Well start at a ceremony held at the school to mark the anniversary last month. Well hear it from former president bill clinton, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and members of the little rock nine. This runs about two hours. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our distinguished guests for todays commemorative program. Bruce d. Moore. Steering committee. [ applause ] nancy russo, principal of Little Rock Central High School. [cheers and applause] michael poor, superintendent of the Little Rock School district. Dr. Henry lewis gates, professor and director of hutchens center for africanamerican research at harvard university. The honorable mark stodola, mayor of the city of little rock. Cameron shawly, National Park service. [ applause ] the honorable asa hutchinson, governor of arkansas. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the 42nd president of the United States, William Jefferson clinton. [ applause ] [cheers and applause] ladies and gentlemen, please give