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To learn more about the members of the Little Rock Nine (Melba Pattillo Beals, Carlotta Walls Lanier, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Jefferson Thomas, Minnijean Brown Trickey, Terrence Roberts, Thelma Mothershed Wair) and the Little Rock Nine Foundation, click here.
The resources below are filled with eye-witness accounts of the events at Central High School and the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.
A Mighty Long Way by Carlotta Walls Lanier
An interesting biography that covers Carlotta Walls Lanier's life before and after her years at Central High School. The book offers a first hand account of events during the desegregation crisis of 1957-58 as well as a look at life in Little Rock in the mid-twentieth centuty. It also addresses the struggle that Mrs. Lanier faced returning to Central High in the fall of 1959 after the "Lost Year" caused by Governor Faubus closing all LIttle Rock schools. It is also available as an audiobook.
Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Patillo Beals
The author offers the reader a chance to understand the discrimination and intimidation faced by African-Americans during the Jim Crow era. She brings to life the daily challenges faced by the Little Rock Nine inside the walls of Central High School, as well as the danger her family faced during the desegregation crisis. It is also available in a student edition and in audiobook format.
Lessons From Little Rock by Terrence Roberts
A firsthand account of the events at Central High School. Dr. Roberts brings his time at Central High to life, relating the difficult and dangerous situations faced by the Little Rock Nine every day. Trained in psychology, he uses his experiences to offer insight into how we can take positive steps forward by remembering and acknowledging the difficulties of the past.
The Long Shadow of Little Rock by Daisy Bates
A memoir of the desegregation crisis written by the former president of the Little Rock NAACP and the organizer of the Little Rock Nine.
Eyes on the Prize - America's Civil Rights Movement
An acclaimed exploration of the Civil Rights Movement in America. The second episode focuses on the events at Central High School. The entire series is important viewing that will astound those who did not live through these events. It will remind those who did that the tremendous bravery of those who fought and died for equality should not be forgotten or minimized. It is important to remember that this is not ancient history, but that these events took place less than sixty years ago.