Carlotta Lanier, one of the Little Rock Nine, spoke about her experiences during the desegregation of public schools during the 1950s.

The Little Rock Nine is the title given to the nine African-American youths who, despite prejudice and racism, entered Little Rock High School following the case of Brown vs. the Board of Education. This landmark Supreme Court case asserted the unconstitutionality of “separate but equal” facilities.

Lanier began by explaining that her courage stemmed from a strong family, religion and, most influentially, a will to receive a first-rate education. Before Brown vs. the Board of Education, the saying “separate but equal” was little more than vacuous words. “Black schools” had little access to materials, books and personal attention from teachers, while “white schools” had far superior financial support.

After the Supreme Court’s ruling, Lanier’s teacher sent around a sign up sheet for those interested in attending the formerly “white school” in Little Rock. Lanier felt an unmitigated need to sign her name. She related that she did not even look to see the other names already on the list, for she knew that attending this superlative school “was what I was going to do.”

Yet, the people of Little Rock did not share her idealism. Lanier and the other African-America students were required to attend a separate meeting, during which the superintendent of the school told the youths that if they attended the school, they could not participate in extracurricular activities, inter-racial dating and school functions.

Thirty-nine prospective students fell to nine.

When the nine students went to school on the first day of class, they found themselves confronted with the National Guard of Arkansas.

Governor Orval Faubus had called out the Guard to keep the students from entering the school, under the guise of “protecting the citizens” of Little Rock.

For the next three weeks the students were kept out of school while the litigation deciding their future crawled along. Eventually, the decision of Brown vs. the Board of Education was upheld, and President Dwight Eisenhower ordered the federal troops to enforce the desegregation of Little Rock High School.

Lanier and the others were escorted to school, around school and home from school every day for the rest of the year.

Lanier graduated from Little Rock High School in May 1960.

At the end of her presentation, Lanier expressed how those in her audience often ask her if, at the time, she hated white people for the pain and suffering they were causing her.

She responded that she never hated anyone. She further explained that it was hate, not the white people, which caused her suffering, and hating is a learned behavior.