2008 Woodie Awards
Living history comes to Skyline
As the climax to a lecture series, Melba Beals, one of the Little Rock Nine speaks at Skyline
Neill Herbert
Date created: 5/21/04 Section: NEWS
In a moving speech on the evening of May 12, one of the country's most famous civil rights personalities shared her experiences with Skyline staff and students.
The event, held in the main theater, featured a speech by Melba Beals, one of the "Little Rock Nine," the first group of black students to enroll in the Arkansas capital's Central High School. It was a watershed moment in the history of civil rights.
The event was hosted in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case "Brown v. Board of Education," decided on May 17, 1954. In that decision, the justices ruled that, in the name of fairness and equality, all-white schools were to be desegregated, allowing black students to enroll in the same schools. The decision was one of the events that sparked the fire of the American civil rights movement.
"The passing of 'Brown' was heaven to me," Beals said in her speech. "'Brown'...was a gift."
Beals went on to recount her experiences of attending Central High School. She, her family, and her friends were the targets of numerous hate crimes. For protection for the nine black students, the 101stst Airborne Division was brought in to act as bodyguards.
Beals, however, chose to see the situation in a positive light. She referred to her years in high school as a sort of adventure, albeit a "hellish adventure."
But, Beals did confirm that the efforts of the Little Rock Nine were not in vain. She was emphatic in pointing out that those who look pessimistically at the progress of civil rights in America should be more positive.
"I don't know about you, but I ain't in the back of the bus no more," Beals said matter-of-factly.
She did concede that implementing the provisions of "Brown v. Board" to the fullest extent may never happen.
"Have we utilized ['Brown'] to its fullest?" Beals asked the audience, then went on to answer her question, "No, we haven't. It's a key. Have we used it to unlock all our doors? No, we haven't."
The event, held in the main theater, featured a speech by Melba Beals, one of the "Little Rock Nine," the first group of black students to enroll in the Arkansas capital's Central High School. It was a watershed moment in the history of civil rights.
The event was hosted in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case "Brown v. Board of Education," decided on May 17, 1954. In that decision, the justices ruled that, in the name of fairness and equality, all-white schools were to be desegregated, allowing black students to enroll in the same schools. The decision was one of the events that sparked the fire of the American civil rights movement.
"The passing of 'Brown' was heaven to me," Beals said in her speech. "'Brown'...was a gift."
Beals went on to recount her experiences of attending Central High School. She, her family, and her friends were the targets of numerous hate crimes. For protection for the nine black students, the 101stst Airborne Division was brought in to act as bodyguards.
Beals, however, chose to see the situation in a positive light. She referred to her years in high school as a sort of adventure, albeit a "hellish adventure."
But, Beals did confirm that the efforts of the Little Rock Nine were not in vain. She was emphatic in pointing out that those who look pessimistically at the progress of civil rights in America should be more positive.
"I don't know about you, but I ain't in the back of the bus no more," Beals said matter-of-factly.
She did concede that implementing the provisions of "Brown v. Board" to the fullest extent may never happen.
"Have we utilized ['Brown'] to its fullest?" Beals asked the audience, then went on to answer her question, "No, we haven't. It's a key. Have we used it to unlock all our doors? No, we haven't."
