What it is now. But because i have learned to love and still love to learn, i am blessed with the opportunity to introduce to you some panelists that will talk about whats happened since the crisis. First of all, i will say that our first two speakers will be members of the little rock nine. And you have to forgive us because this is a very busy day, there will be exiting as soon as theyre finished speaking because they have other meetings they must attend. Solet me introduce the panelists and then well get started. One of our yungest members is crystal c. Mercer, little rock born. Her artistic talents have been displayed around the state in new york and canterbury, england. Her Public Service complements the Public Service of her father, attorney christopher, jr. A license certified social worker in the state of arkansas, registered therapist, supervisor and clinical member of the American Association for marriage and family therapy. Her experience includes mental health, Child Protective Services and private practice. She earned her phd of private therapy. Philander Smith College in little rock and State College of arkansas now known as little rock central in conway. Hes now a member of the interscalastic association and lifetime member to arkansas activities association, little rock Classroom Teachers association, Arkansas Education association, National Education association, retired activities supervisor with the city of little rocks parks and recreation. She is the daughter of howell and lewis payton putillo. Her roots are in the state prior to the civil war. She earned a bachelor of arts in journalism from San Francisco state and a masters. She has all but two Award Winning books. Carlota has been an ambassador of little rock since 1957 and the yuoungest of the little roc nine. Her arkansas roots are deep into the 1860s. She continued the family trade of selfemployment when operating her Real Estate Brokerage firm in colorado. And with that id like to start this part of the section by giving melbur bills an opportunity to speak to you. Im going to reverse your decision because camallo has information that goes reverse to mine. Im not being bitchy. Thats okay. We can do it like that. Good morning. Yes, melbur would probably like me to speak first. What id like to say upfront is this. I am the only one of the group living today that experienced 1959, 1960 at little rock Central High School. I speak the name of Jefferson Thomas who is also with me they graduated with me in may of 1960. We are two that experienced that year without the troops. I think were the only in fact, i know were the only two that from the tenth grade through the 12th grade that experienced everything that you heard before, in the middle of the lost year and then the year of graduating in may of 1960. I would like to say and up lift those that were helpful to jefferson and i in the twelfth grade. We did not have the troops, we did not have the extra help to protect us during that particular time. But that did not say we did not have problems. We continue d to have problems with some of those determined to keep us out. But the leadership, i think, did not want to go through the 1957, 58 time frame. So my senior clas members took a little bit extra effort in trying to quell some of the things that were going on. Unfortunately in february of 1960, my home was bombed. I was fortunate enough, my mother and two sisters and myself happened to be on the other side of the home and was able to be here to tell you about it. My father unfortunately because of the fact he was having trouble getting jobs, when they would find out he was the father of one of those at central was not there because he was working at his fathers cafe at the time. It happened around 10 30. And because he was not there, he was considered a suspect. Along with my friend who lived up the street by the name of herbe herbe herbert muntz. Id like to put his name into the record because he was incarcerated for five years for bombing my home, which i knew he had not done. I hear that there are a couple of professors here in little rock that is trying to get his records expunged. I hope that does happen. I understand it is on the governors desk. And i would hope that they would see to it there was no way possible he could have done that. We knew it. Unfortunately, without having the legal help extended to him, he could only afford so much. And unfortunately, he spent 18 months of that five years in prison here in arkansas. But i will say with that in may of 1960 jefferson and i graduated. And let me tell you, i knew that i had completed the task that i started. [ applause ] i needed that diploma. That diploma validated everything that i had gone through. And that very next day i got the first thing smoking out of little rock. Vowed to never, ever return, and i did six years later. And since then ive seen a lot of changes, i see progress going on. I see progress going on in our country. I also see that there is a necessity for us to be vigilant about what is goingen on in our country, speak up, get involved, vote, help change what is going on in this country. As you know there are people trying to reverse what is going on, all of the progress we have made. And thats pretty much what i really would like to say today. So thank you very much for that opportunity. [ applause ] good morning. Ive been requested i move a little bit to the center. Im dr. Melva patelo veels. After the little rock central high incident prior to when carlotta went back, most of us were told to get out of little rock because we were under pressure. And the ku klux klan was offering 10,000 dead, 2,000 alive. And at the time i had someone callup my grandmother and they said get her out. During this time right afterwards everybody got out of little rock. And what happened was the naacp sought avenues to get out, and there were avenues sought all over the place. In many instances families responded to this her helped us get settled in other places. If youre going to talk to us, each one of the nine has a different settlement story. I was sent from here to San Francisco, california, where i almost had a heart attack. I wanted to live with a black family, i meantwanted my own fa. When i got off the plane 13 people rushed towards me to hug me. If youre from little rock, no one was rushing to hug you except if indeed, he turned out to be dr. George mccabe, the founder of Sonoma State University and in sonoma, california. And she combined with my birth mother the collaboration through my mother who had been a professor and those people in santa rosa was shattering for me because theres no way out. But on the other hand, my father changed my name. Were not letting them use my first name except joy. Not letting me have any interviews by the press. Took away all my privileges. Youre not a star, baby. Youve got to make it through school like the rest of us. Were going to have to earn our money from the baseline. Please go make your bed, and check with me when youve got your housework done. So when i first got there, i was scared. Im leaving with these white folks. But when i got there my dad said look here, you are never less than my daughter, never less than my child. And thats how its going to be always. No one can deny anything, because you are not meant to be denied anything. When i was taken downtown to the santa rosa Swimming Pool and forbidden to swim, my father got the rest of his teacher friends from Sonoma State University, put signs in there and said, hey, were going to march until you let her swim. When they started marching over there to say what is nigger swimming in our neighborhood and they started throwing rocks my mother, they were quakers and fighter rights for preschools. My mother set up the Television St station. At her funeral everybody looked at me and i was the only black person there. People in town wondered who i was, because there were very few black people there. Th they showed me a lot not by what they said, but their behavior, how they treated me. My father took me to school to register, and people looked at him like he was crazy. And he said this is my daughter, and im here to register her today. Each one of us has heart wrenching stories about where we went, what we did. But among our greatest needs during this period was a healing. We had to find our balance, who are we, why are we on earth . Why are they taking pictures of us . What are we going to do later . What the most important question that hung in the air as carlotta mentioned was, have we done the right thing and when we received the congressional medal of honor in the white house, it hit us all. Yeah, you did. You did what you were supposed to do, you did what god assigned you to do. You did the right thing and many people will benefit. As children, teenagers you dont understand that. Even though Martin Luther king said to us i was complaining. And he said, hey, look here melva, you are not doing this for yourself. You are doing this for generations that you have never met, people you will never see. We have a national act, an act that affected the people of arkansas. In my minds eye the white people who were in Central High School and those battling against us, we were all going through a lesson. And all of it was a part of kind of an orchestration of a higher power to determine that we all learn this lesson that either were going to make it together or we aint going to make it. And as long as one of us is not free, none of us is free. And so it was a huge, hard, hard fought lesson, which would affect me for the rest of my life. For example, therapists say the reason why i lose weight and gain it, and lose weight and gain it because when i feel fat i feel less vulnerable. And ive had psychological fears over my life. Everyone of us has residue. Weve all lived with people ask questions, do we stay in touch . You know we do. One historian says out of the nine of us, seven of us are blood cousins. We miss each other. I miss gloria. I told her yesterday like she was here. I love jean, and i miss her telling me what to do next because im kind of boring. Carlotta is in charge, if youve got a social engagement, shes going to do it. Youve got to know where things are. When mr. Ernie green speaks, we follow. Because hes the oldest ofus, t us jokes and give us spiritual thing. We all blend together and its blend of love. We have respect for each other. Couldnt have made it through that without each other. Its as though god said im going to mix you a formula. When i put it all together, all personalities, will fall into place and you will see how you each enable each other. Every single time we get together, every single one of us falls into that pattern. Ernie the boss, carlotta the organizer. She says get to the airport by 7 00 a. M. , i know by butt better be there or its over. Gloria is dignified, knowing the history. Going to inform us. Everybody has a role. How do i feel about this . As said, unique experience. Never ever be as close to anyone on the planet as these people because they know what really happened to us. At that age couldnt talk to mother or father. Later on our sons, children, all interrelated, know and talk to each other and all say how it affected their lives. Of course. But didnt go around saying were little rock nine, look at your history. I didnt say anything. Boys went to school and came home at five, hey, saw a book in the library, warriors something or other. Dont cry. Black girl in the back looked like you but had on makeup, you know you could leook better tha you do. Then people come to interview me, no, wrong house, slammed door. Werent living as stars. Little rock nine. All have individual lives. Gloria has lived her life in im going to get this wrong, sweden. All right with her kids and husband. Min jenijean brown, tricky, liv lot of life in canada. Social worker. Always grassroots organizer, going to speak her mind. People played different roles. I was nbc newscaster. For me the news people here set a tone. Realized when i watched them operate, if its in the news, hard to hang somebody when someone is writing it down, got a camera going. News reporter for nbc and abc and when i got done, taught and ran a Public Relations company. Really believed that exposure in the news was what gets it. Then a professor and went on to retire and start writing books. Each of us has an interesting pathway weve climbed, interesting things weve all done in your lives. So you would have to look up each of the individual histories to get them. But all grew up with the blessings of lord jesus. Thats how i feel. What could have happened to us didnt. When they gave us those incredible statues downtown at capital, all looked at each other and said heh. Terry Walking Around with grandson. Yeah we like the statues but didnt know wed live this long. Same thing first night we were here. How old are you . Im 75 too. Youre going to be 76 when . Minnijean telling me im due for another birthday. On the earth only love is a healer. Not taking care of things and looking at what is going on around you, get off your butt and do so. It is you who decides what happens in the future. Dont forget where we came from. I never forget. Dont tell me we havent made some progress people. I remember being that little girl who rode on that bus in the back of the bus. I remember sitting in front and getting on and slapped by bus man and grandmother dragging me to the back. I remember the water fountains. I thought to myself, hell i got a crayon, who is going around putting signs on everything that sells white only . I just need paper and pen to redo this. I just need a moment. Thats what is sad about life here. Four years of age i said where did we come from . On the roof by the stork of course like everybody else. Stork comes around and you have the privilege i said well, okay. I got my red wagon, went to the front of the house and sat there for days and days. To this day, i know you better wear a sun hat. Hurt the top of my head, the sun did. What was waiting for . Wanted stork to come by, pick my butt up and get me out of here. I figured if he could deliver, he could pick up. That whats my reasoning. Thats how badly i felt about watching my parents transform in the household from interesting people to when we went to local grocery store, yes, sir, no, sir. Grandmother reached for box of baking powder one day. Guy said you know you cant do that. You cant take things off the shelf. We take them off. She stood in line to get meat. Somebody else came in, knocked out of line. People say sometimes why did you want to go to Central High School . I bet you wanted to marry somebody white. Grandmother used to say to me hey, you aint courting until youre 18. And you sure the heck aint getting married now. Thats not a purpose. Never on any of our minds. You know what, we just wanted a better education. All right. Like huge reason . Everybody says why . Wanted better life for children and better education. With that i will say that god in me is the god in you, were all the same. There is no difference. Same feelings of honor and courage that helped me go through the incredible experience of being in Central High School that would mark me and my family rest of our lives rests in you. You have to move ahead and march on. Grandmother used to say when i complained, life is forward girl, move on. Load is heavy, train is hot, winding if its heavy load. Keep moving on. I tell you, its not perfect, but its better. Not as perfect as i thought it would be but its okay. Im going to keep moving on, what are you going to do . Ill take questions. Thanks for listening, coming here, caring. Yes, sir. I grew up in this is a general question i wanted to get in. What role, if any, did the church play in your situation . Crucial role in the organization of Central High School and all of us. You have to understand that prior to that time church was our source of news, policing we got, doctoring, source of law. It was everything. Nobody else cared about us but minister and rest of the people who attended. If i needed teeth done or needed something done legally, what are income tax . Go to church. Thats where i get help. Church was everything and only thing in my life that provided me with power and people at that Church Background us up. That church was something i knew. And my mother i buried a few years back, never forget, showed me sunday school book in which they marked down her contribution to the church for almost 50 years. Fact that she taught sunday school. For me and most of us, religion of some description was the absolute Key Driving Force in our lives. Wasnt a day or moment that i didnt pray. And when i got into the worst trouble, people putting bombs on my head in central high, i said the lords prayer to say how many times i could say it, 13 1 2 times up three flights of stairs. Aint no life without church. I dont have life today without it. No life without god. Just wrote a book to that. God is always here, always will be with all of us. There is no life. One more question and i got to go. [ inaudible ] . We never got a dime from the state. It cost my parents a lot of money to go through that. Illnesses, hardships and whatnot. No one ever offered a dime, we didnt take a dime. Nobody ever paid a dime to us. Money given to naacp was utilized for things across the country. To people who object by the way to expenditure of cash on us for this celebration were having, ill say one thing, you know what, until you walk in my shoes, until youve been where ive been, dont you make no comment about whether or not weve made progress. Okay . Dont you say a thing about what is going on. Were here because we need you to bring us here, because we hope our gathering will inspire and help somebody to keep moving forward. Only reason were here. And mean both whites and blacks, not just black folks. Tell you what we think. People always assume what they think im thinking. I wouldnt be here today without the rabbis, the lawyers, the you know my sons names are matthew thurgood and Evan Marshall for a reason. Wouldnt be here without attorneys and white people who sneaked over to help us around. That woman who stood and walked elizabeth out of there, wouldnt be here without the white News Reporters that wrote what they wrote or brought food when we didnt have it. Not a single oriented project but cooperative. Were really bad white folks but really good ones who risked their lives to see that we got out. Some really good ones. Nice soldiers who laid their lives on the line to see to it i didnt get acid in my eye. Slammed my head beneath water and ran me out to get help. Let us not make conclusions about anybody. People say about us, who of us hates somebody . Often in us do. We dont have an ounce of hate in our system for anybody. Just think one thing, it is love that will save the world. God bless you, thank you for listening. All right. Six decades of education and it was nice to have that summed up. Six decades of education. And rightfully so we should reflect on the progress. We have other members of this committee, this panel, and i would like to just start off by asking them a few questions and you can sit at your seat and respond, you each have microphones. What was right about the School District since 1957 . Start off with you. What is right . Its hot. Well put it here. Okay. What is right . I cant really speak for whats right now because times are different. In 1974, when central basketball football coach, we had enrollment about 70 to 30. More whites than blacks. All the years i worked there for 20 years i was not first africanamerican coach. Coach crater, head coach before me. Johnny greenwood was there one year. I spent 20 years at central. I saw five different principals in that span. And in 1994, i retired from coaching. But i had diversity on lot of diversity on the football team, basketball team, track team and we had big participation out of all the kids. But you dont see that today. Its kind of changed. You just have a few, most of the private schools. Taken away a lot of the good athletes and students. Theyve gone to the private sector. And thats where its not like it was when i came earlier. So just to remind everybody who i am, crystal c. Mercer, daughter of the late attorney christopher c. Mercer jr. , field secretary for the naacp during the 1957 crisis here. And practiced law for 59 years until the end of his life in november of 2012. Im also a 2001 graduate of Central High School. And i feel like what is right is that i had the opportunity because of the little rock nine, the naacp, because of mr. Wally burton senior to attend high school and receive that diploma and since moved on to other things. What is right is already right, already working. Im in a place now where i want to focus on whats wrong so we can fix it. There are a lot of things that arent right. People mentioned weve come a long way but long way to go. We have a really long way to go because were regressing. Things that have worked in the past or are working, people receiving education. People should have equal access to education and equal access and representation to equitable education in the city of little rock. Im laverne bell tolliver. First im part of what you call phase two. I was one of 25 students who desegregated the junior high schools in little rock. Four of the five at that time junior high schools, grade seven through nine, were desegregated in 1961. And then the final school, which was pelasky heights was desegregated in 1962. And that was phase two. Phase three was the desegregation of the Elementary Schools. I would like to say whats going on right is that there are some schools, including Central High School, who are excelling in their academics. However there are three high schools that are on the distress. And like crystal and anothers, i believe that we need to work on that. There are some schools that are doing well, but we need to also focus on where we need to go from here. Theres much more that i can say. Im glad i did the powerpoint because you can see the time line that i gave to you that was passed out that shows the various Court Actions as well as other types of actions that took place from 19 actually i believe i begin in 56 all the way to the present time. And if you have a question afterwards, ill be happy to answer something along that line once were finished. But i believe whats working right is that there are a few of the little rock Public Schools doing well so far. But we have miles to go before we sleep. We know whats happening that is right. Also want to know what is wrong and what we can use to propel our students forward in the fight for better education. What can we do to propel our students forward. Either of you can start. I think its important to activate the idea in young people that they can do it. Minnijean talked last night that children move president s to act. Touched on movements through history where young people stood up, spoke out and kept at it. They were catalysts for change. International worldwide, intergalactic change that is still in the process of happening. Right now im graduate student, second year. Im just across the way. These are things we analyze and discuss every day about how to activate ourselves, be of service to the public, work with young people and engage them in things theyre interested in. I feel like we need to give them an opportunity to know that they are worthy, capable, they have a voice. We need to engage them in Voter Registration practices. Not like you turn 18 and go do this thing, what does it mean to vote when youre in kindergarten . What will that do for you to understand what that process is by the time youre old enough to understand it . What does it mean to be active participant in parent, teacher and student associations . And you get to help decide what is happening in your school and with extracurriculars on campus. What does that mean . Not when you get to age where youre allowed to speak . But what if we give them a space where theyre always allowed to be heard . I dont have all the answers but idea i have to energize them to be those young people who move others to act. What i see, i dont know what i see that is going on at this time, when i was preparing for this conference, i looked at the fact that at least 28 public 28 Charter Schools are approved right now. There are some few extra that are in distress, but 28 Charter Schools are in existence. From the time that william rector began building polasky that i believe is the name, funds have been taken away from little rock Public Schools. If you look at the history back in 1956 and 1958, there was an extraordinary session of the Arkansas Congress at that time that actually proposed that the schools transfer funds for students who did not want to attend school with africanamericans. Today those funds are legalry transferred to the Charter Schools, which takes away from the little rock Public Schools. Consequently we have approximately 19 to 20 caucasian attending little rock Public Schools and we have schools that are unequal. I think we need to do something serious in terms of considering how we can have schools that have the funding to provide quality services. Our schools are in distress when we do not have the opportunity to have equal services. Its not a matter of whether or not the schools are desegregated. We already know theyre resegregated. But we need to figure out how to have access to the funds to properly educate the students in the schools. Comment . Right now we dont have, as far as the students are concerned, we have a lot of bussing. When i was coaching at central, i had kids trying to play ball for me from so many different communities until you could never get them to cooperate like they should and didnt have parent input because it was so widespread. I think thats what you have now, some of the problem. Could clear that up and then i remember in the early 70s, when i came to central, there was no yellow busses running at all. Kids rode school bus, had passes and city bus lined up down 14th street and everybody could go home on the street bus. Thank you. From a social perspective, social education, were looking at six decades of education here and around our nation. Socially as far as extracurricular activities, out of school time, what changes have you seen since your days in school that we need to reinstitute in our schools today as far as social activities for students like band or glee club or artistic endeavors . What have you seen were not doing now that we were in your time in school . What i see now and started to see before i got out of coaching, they dont really have any social things anymore. There used to be dances after the ball games, things like that. We dont have that anymore, so kids are not socializing. Come, go to classrooms, get in cars and go back to communities. Socialize other plays, not really come together. I have ba in theater arts and dance. Im artist and love the stage, i pretty much fell in love with theater at Central High School. It was a big deal for me to have classes on that stage and perform on that stage because its something that minnijean talked about, she didnt get the opportunity because couldnt participate. I did debate, troubadours, black culture society. I did cultural things. Im 17 years removed from high school. I dont know if still going on. But some of the young people i work with, they dont have opportunities for the art programs, place to express themselves on the stage or technical, work with lights, build sets, make costumes, other ways to explore creativity outside of drawing or studio art. If they had more artistic activities in school would be a big help. I volunteer for an Elementary School, stephens elementary where i graduated in the sixth grade. I can tell you they do have a lot of activities that go on there. What i dont see is the care and regard that our Elementary School teachers provided during that time. Many of the teachers there are africanamericans, but something is missing in that care, compassion and expectation that a child is going to succeed. And we need to return to that part. I do also see at central high various activities going on, but i did want to mention again in the Charter Schools, many times and of course in the private schools, you have to pay for those kinds of fees to participate in different activities. So thats money that many people who send their children to those Charter Schools can afford. So children miss out in that particular way. I would like to encourage teachers, educators, administrators to put that expectation that your children will succeed i wrote a book, theres also a card about it that you can pick up if you want. 18 people that i interviewed who desegregated the schools said that when they were in the schools, they did not have the opportunity to participate in those extracurricular activities. Many of them said however, as someone mentioned a little bit earlier, that their church provided that. And i do, as senior pastor, encourage churches to still step up to the plate and provide those opportunities for young people. Because they may not be able or eligible for whatever reason to receive those activities in the school. Thank you. We are again running short of time but as one last statement from each of you, i would like to ask you, what is your vision for the education system, not just here in little rock but around our nation and around the world for the next 60 years. Coach boone, would you like to start us off or need a moment . Thats going to be tough to deal with. I think theres got to be a lot of changes. From financial standpoint weve become coop and stuff like that, Parent Community involvement is not what it should be, think we need to change that. I would like to see a system that doesnt privatize education and prisons because i feel like the direction its going in is creating an elitist system to educate some and contain others. And i would like to see a world where there is an equilibrium of justice for students of all races and for them to have an opportunity to explore their interests and creativity. It feels like we are in 1957. There is not a mob waiting outside of the clinton president ial center, but there are people in office who are responding to some of these new crises in a moblike manner. And i would like to see a world where people are free and not oppressed and where our children have a chance. Because if we dont have education, children, seeds, we do not grow and we die. Little rock will die if we do not fix this problem. Id like to first of all say, what she said. But just in addition to that, one of the things that i keep thinking, and this could be kind of a little bit on the controversial side. But because so many people have talked about desegregation as the be all and end all, i think we need to look at fact that we may never get the schools to be equal in race and so therefore have equal access to education. I think that we need to look at what the students that i talked with said, which was, they looked at need to have the books, the materials, that were first rate instead of used. They needed to have equipment, access to the best technology possible. And they needed to have all of that in an environment that wasnt falling down on them. And that was why many chose to attend the junior high schools at that time. Its not necessarily about race. Right now its about yes race but also socioeconomic status. Truth be told, if youre attending some of our what you call desegregated Public Schools, caucasians are getting the same lowerclass education as other races. So we need to in 60 years make sure that were providing top rate access to education and expectations that everyone can succeed to the best of their ability. Thank you all. Appreciate you all that have stayed. Please give your panelists still here a hand. We would have loved to do this longer but realize the constraints of time and thankful for what we did get in. Appreciate each of the guests. Been helpful and unique for me to learn more about what can be done. I thank you for the opportunity to be your moderator. We have on the program to speak but in lieu of time asked me to let everyone know theres information about little rock Central High School and what theyre presently doing on the tables as you exit. Thank you for attending the symposium. Thank the guest and moderators one more time for helping us. And we thank you for coming. Have a good evening. Sunday night on after words historian Craig Shirley on the life and political career of newt gingrich. Citizen newt making of a reagan conservative. This is an era before cable television. Cable news. Before cnn and msnbc. No talk radio to speak of. Big media. And cspan. And he quickly realizes the potency of giving special orders every afternoon, fiveminute speech that was then carried all over cable and to 100,000 homes around the country. And former congressman dick armey used to rib him about it. And gingrich would say dick, would you go give a speech to 100,000 people . Of course you would. Thats what youre doing with cspan, special orders every afternoon. He quickly becomes a cult political leader and getting 700 letters a week from people around the country. To this back bench Junior Member from georgia, member of minority party, already achieving a national following. Sunday night at 9 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan2s book tv. Radio station in the nations capital, heavy automobile commute city. Will extend our brand and give people a chance to listen to it. How it happened. Cspan radio. Listen to the washington journal live each morning beginning 7 00 a. M. Eastern. Week days at 5 00 p. M. Eastern, and latest from congress and administration. Cspan radio available in washington on 90. 1 fm, on cspan. Org or downloading the free cspan radio app. Where you hear history unfold daily. Recently residents of little rock, arkansas, discussed the events that led up to the integration of little rock Central High School when president dwight d. Eisenhower sent troops to escort africanamericans to the previously all white school in response to the board v. Board of education declaring segregated schools illegal. President of the arkansas naacp. First of all, on behalf of leon russell, chairman of the board of the naacp, attorney derrick johnson, president and ceo. And late l. C. And daisy bates of the naacp bring you greetings. To city manager bruce moore, city board of directors of