Interpretive National Park Service ranger Spirit Trickey works at the Visitor Center as one of the guides. Her mother, Minnijean Brown Trickey, was one of the Little Rock Nine who fought back in school when subjected to taunts and threats. Expelled for doing so, she finished her education in New York, Illinois and Ottawa, Canada before returning to Little Rock. Several of the harassing students have formally apologized, and given active support to civil rights since those dark days.

Little Rock is very much about civil rights and a famous supporter, Arkansas’ own, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who ran his successful 1992 campaign from the old grey Gazette building in the downtown area. Another significant building (for a lesser known reason) is the Metropolitan Bank Tower, the tallest building between St. Louis and Dallas, and headquarters for the TCBY yoghurt franchise. This was the target of choice for bomber Timothy McVeigh before fate intervened. A chance conversation with a friendly flower vendor in the building brought a change of heart, and he drove instead to Oklahoma City with his deadly explosives.