First africanamerican students to attend Central High School known as the little rock nine. This is 50 minutes. My name is rhonda stuart. Im the genealogist. What i do is Research Local history and also a granddaughter of willy tumes. I am a seed of a crisis. That history was planted in me, and i grow. And as i grow, i continue to sprout bits and pieces of that history. And im thankful. Im thankful because without the central high crisis, my life would be totally different than 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 wal