[To paraphrase Victor Hugo]: Nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come.
September 23, 2007
The BIG NEWS from Little Rock this month is the 50th Anniversary of The Little Rock Nine, a cluster of gangly youths who shook the country to its roots by trying to go to school.
On September 25, 1957 nine black students were escorted into Little Rock’s Central High School by paratroopers from the “Screaming Eagles” 101st Airborne Division under orders from President Eisenhower. It was a historic day igniting a fundamental change in American society
--- the end of racial segregation in education.
On September 25, 1957 nine black students were escorted into Little Rock’s Central High School by paratroopers from the “Screaming Eagles” 101st Airborne Division under orders from President Eisenhower. It was a historic day igniting a fundamental change in American society
--- the end of racial segregation in education.
A 50th Commemorative Anniversary ceremony will be held on the front lawn of Central High on Tuesday, September 25th, with all of The Little Rock Nine in attendance. The 101st Airborne will this time be an honorary escort for the group of nine. The Arkansas National Guard, which was nationalized and took over protective duties after first being ordered by the governor to reject the students, will provide the color guard.
The Little Rock Nine: Elizabeth Eckford, Thelma Mothershed Wair, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Dr. Terrence Roberts, Melba Pattillo Beals, Ernest Green, Minnijean Brown Trickey, Jefferson Thomas and Carlotta Walls LaNier.
For information on anniversary events taking place, you can go to www.nps.gov/chsc/50th-anniversary.htm or call 501-374-1957.
The Little Rock Nine: Elizabeth Eckford, Thelma Mothershed Wair, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Dr. Terrence Roberts, Melba Pattillo Beals, Ernest Green, Minnijean Brown Trickey, Jefferson Thomas and Carlotta Walls LaNier.
For information on anniversary events taking place, you can go to www.nps.gov/chsc/50th-anniversary.htm or call 501-374-1957.
My visit to Little Rock began with a late flight which had me landing just minutes before I was due to board a riverboat for a dinner cruise. No worries --- Lenarr Kincheu and Fred Daniels from the Peabody Hotel met me at the airport with a limo and assurances we would make it. That was before we realized my bag was missing. After precious minutes spent waiting at the baggage carrousel, I hurriedly left my name at the lost luggage office and tore out the door. We sped away, circled the drive and raced for the dock. Fred was on his cellphone, counting down the minutes and frantically pleading that they hold the boat for me.
As we entered the far end of the parking lot he was told the boat was leaving. “Hold it, hold it, we’re right here!” Screeching to a stop at the dock, we jumped out, waving our arms and shouting as I ran for the boat which had just begun to paddle away. To jump the 10 feet separating me from the deck was tempting but I decided against it…wisely, I think. Nothing we did was going to bring that paddlewheeler back.
As we entered the far end of the parking lot he was told the boat was leaving. “Hold it, hold it, we’re right here!” Screeching to a stop at the dock, we jumped out, waving our arms and shouting as I ran for the boat which had just begun to paddle away. To jump the 10 feet separating me from the deck was tempting but I decided against it…wisely, I think. Nothing we did was going to bring that paddlewheeler back.
Normally I would have felt that I missed the boat, but Fred and Lenarr were determined to make the best of things, immediately offering me a personal whirlwind tour of the city. And we did exactly that, including a brief stop outside the Clinton Presidential Center. Looking out the window, Lenarr appeared deep in thought. Knowing Bill Clinton’s civil rights record, I sensed a connection between Lenarr and the former president.
The busy day was a prelude to a visit filled with some downright fascinating activities, people and points of interest. Little Rock, I discovered, was much more than just another interesting place to explore; beneath its small town fronting is a community of change reflecting modern America.
That evening I ended up dining with some of the Peabody Hotel staff at Vermillion’s, a comfortable restaurant run by owner/executive chef Mike Selig, whose impromptu portrait I did before leaving.
I was in Little Rock as one of a small group of journalists invited by the Peabody to report on arts and culture in the state capitol. This Peabody Arts And Culture (PAAC) alliance between each Peabody hotel and the communities they serve (Little Rock, Memphis and Orlando) is unique within the tourism industry. Founder/Director MaureenBrigid Gonzalez, Director of Corporate Communications for the Peabody Hotel Group, has unstintingly supported publicity for the arts within the tourism arena since 1996. Little Rock’s pivotal role in the American civil rights movement is a natural extension of Alliance concern. A small memorial garden near Central High School celebrates a significant change in American society.
Little Rock Central High was built in the days when a high school education was considered to be rather special. Hence the sturdy construction and classical architecture. Central was the best high school in the state prior to integration, and has since proudly regained that status. The inscription above the entrance advocates Ambition, Personality, Opportunity, Preparation.
On the morning of September 4, 1957 Elizabeth Eckford arrived at the school separately from her friends, due to the family not having a phone. Denied entry by Arkansas National Guard soldiers, she walked a terrifying 2 blocks alone to await a city bus while followed and taunted by an angry mob. Elizabeth met us at the Little Rock Nine memorial statues for some photographs.
“We weren’t the people the NAACP expected to go to school….we weren’t litigants. We were what was left. Let me emphasize: we were ordinary people……How could you leave without segregation ending? --- these were the kind of questions that motivated us. [Having courage] was something you thought about every day. My grandfather had a great impact [on me]; he had a great love of people. The thing I found so shocking was that there were adults who would act to hurt a child.” Now as a probation officer it hurts Elizabeth to see young blacks killing one another.
“We weren’t the people the NAACP expected to go to school….we weren’t litigants. We were what was left. Let me emphasize: we were ordinary people……How could you leave without segregation ending? --- these were the kind of questions that motivated us. [Having courage] was something you thought about every day. My grandfather had a great impact [on me]; he had a great love of people. The thing I found so shocking was that there were adults who would act to hurt a child.” Now as a probation officer it hurts Elizabeth to see young blacks killing one another.
I asked her to rest for a few minutes by leaning against the statue, saying she must be tired. “I was tired a long time ago”, she murmured. For a brief moment, Elizabeth’s thoughts were somewhere else. I clicked the shutter. She is a strong lady, and her fight continues as she now seeks to protect her son from discrimination.
The life-size cast bronze statues statues were designed and sculpted by Little Rock artist John Deering, assisted by his wife Kathy, also an artist. Deering incorporated personality traits which were "often associated with each of the individuals: Elizabeth Eckford in front, looking ahead with a mix of stoicism and apprehension." The memorial is located on the Arkansas State Capitol grounds on the north end of the building off Third Street --- ironically, outside the office window of former Governor Faubus who tried to stop the students.
The life-size cast bronze statues statues were designed and sculpted by Little Rock artist John Deering, assisted by his wife Kathy, also an artist. Deering incorporated personality traits which were "often associated with each of the individuals: Elizabeth Eckford in front, looking ahead with a mix of stoicism and apprehension." The memorial is located on the Arkansas State Capitol grounds on the north end of the building off Third Street --- ironically, outside the office window of former Governor Faubus who tried to stop the students.
The Magnolia gas station was a chaotic scene in 1957 as reporters scrambled to call in their stories about the ongoing crisis from the station’s single telephone. Restored to that critical time, the station has served as official Visitor Center for the National Park Service since the 1998 designation of the high school across the street as a National Historic Site. On Monday, September 24th at 10:00 am the NPS will formally dedicate a new visitor center adjacent to the station where the pumps still display the price of gas in those days: 22.5 cents per gallon.
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.
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.
George Dyer as Don José and Adriana Zabala as Carmen in a performance at Wildwood.
Singer Kira Keating posed on stage with her husband, Dr. Bevan Keating, following Kira’s performance as Frasquita in the opera ‘Carmen’ at Wildwood Park.
For a small community, Little Rock has big ambitions, and rightfully so. The economic stimulus of the Clinton Center alone has been enormous, while the city’s cultural institutions are expanding to an appreciative audience. During my stay the Arkansas Arts Center was holding a special ‘Pursuing Picasso’ exhibit, Wildwood Park www.wildwoodpark.org was presenting the George Bizet opera ‘Carmen’, and the Arkansas Repertory Theatre was running the musical ‘Chorus Line’ with performers direct from Broadway.
Singer Kira Keating posed on stage with her husband, Dr. Bevan Keating, following Kira’s performance as Frasquita in the opera ‘Carmen’ at Wildwood Park.
For a small community, Little Rock has big ambitions, and rightfully so. The economic stimulus of the Clinton Center alone has been enormous, while the city’s cultural institutions are expanding to an appreciative audience. During my stay the Arkansas Arts Center was holding a special ‘Pursuing Picasso’ exhibit, Wildwood Park www.wildwoodpark.org was presenting the George Bizet opera ‘Carmen’, and the Arkansas Repertory Theatre was running the musical ‘Chorus Line’ with performers direct from Broadway.
Our tour of the Historic Arkansas Museum www.historicarkansas.org began with greetings from the director of 35 years, Bill Worthen. His exuberance while describing the museum and its humble beginnings as a few restored cabins reminded me of an illustration I had seen of pre-Civil War abolitionist John Brown exhorting his followers to action. Although our scenario was not quite so dramatic, we did benefit from Bill’s expert appreciation of Arkansas history (his cv is longer than my arm). Just a ring toss from the front door a group of children were learning about frontier life in the museum’s original cabins.
Shaakirah Abdul-Jaleel was a young volunteer taking tickets at the Picasso exhibit.
The Arkansas Arts Center, 9th & Commerce TEL 501-372-4000, is committed to showing local and regional artists, bookended by blockbuster exhibits, with strong community support. The center displays multi-disciplined works, with a concentration on drawings. Take in two of the current special exhibits: ‘Documenting a Not so Distant Past’, photos about segregation and civil rights, on display until November 4th, and Jim Henson's ‘Fantastic World’ until November 25th. The dining room is a pleasant space for a lunch break.
The Arkansas Arts Center, 9th & Commerce TEL 501-372-4000, is committed to showing local and regional artists, bookended by blockbuster exhibits, with strong community support. The center displays multi-disciplined works, with a concentration on drawings. Take in two of the current special exhibits: ‘Documenting a Not so Distant Past’, photos about segregation and civil rights, on display until November 4th, and Jim Henson's ‘Fantastic World’ until November 25th. The dining room is a pleasant space for a lunch break.
The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History www.arkmilitaryheritage.com is a modest tribute to its number one son, General Douglas MacArthur, who was born in Little Rock. His army career spanned a lengthy period, from the 1916 Pancho Villa expedition into Mexico to the Korean war in 1951 when removed by President Truman for insubordination. He oversaw the WW II island hopping campaign in the Pacific. When forced to evacuate the Phillipines by invading Japanese forces in 1942, he famously said “I came from Bataan and I shall return,” doing so triumphantly 2 years later. After the war, he was given the task of democratizing Japan. In a very real sense, political stability and modern consumer wonders by such names as Sony, Toshiba, Matsushita, Honda, Toyota and Suzuki are a legacy of his success.
MacArthur’s silhouette as a bust by Boris Lovet-Lovski at the top of the old wooden stairs is instantly recognizable for those who knew the man. But the museum is not quite all about MacArthur or even the military, as evidenced by a room dedicated to a saxophone player by the name of Bill Clinton.
MacArthur’s silhouette as a bust by Boris Lovet-Lovski at the top of the old wooden stairs is instantly recognizable for those who knew the man. But the museum is not quite all about MacArthur or even the military, as evidenced by a room dedicated to a saxophone player by the name of Bill Clinton.
The Museum of Science and History www.amod.org is the oldest in the city. It’s actually three museums in one --- natural history, science & technology plus a children’s museum. There are special attractions monthly. The juggler in my photo described his work as “better than teaching or travel writing”.
With a full itinerary to pursue, I didn’t have much time at the Saturday morning River Market, but I looked for details which would convey its home-grown character. And so I came across Bill Worden playing a flute carved from a 1000 year old tree. Cut in 1860 and lying in the river for 150 years, its life and extended dormancy were all documented by the tree rings, according to Bill. The wood was as light as a feather. An enthusiastic teacher and flutist, Bill likes to teach elementary school children how to play a flute within 2 hours. On the other side of the market building were drummers Zinse Aggine and Rico Zaragoza who also come to play for pure enjoyment.
The U.S.S. Razorback is a submarine with a colourful history. It was one of two American subs present at the signing of the peace treaty in Tokyo Bay, 1945. During the war, submarines comprised a mere 2% of the U.S. navy yet accounted for half of enemy sea losses. One in seven submariners lost their lives. Refitted in 1952, it was sold to Turkey in the 1970’s, then eventually returned for permanent berthing in Little Rock with warm cooperation by the Turkish navy, for whom Greg Stitz, ship curator, had glowing praise. “On a sub everything is hard and unforgiving, so watch your head,” he warned before the tour.
Hotel guests at each Peabody Hotel www.peabodylittlerock.com always turn out for the daily Duck March of the VIP’s (Very Important Poultry) --- 4 ducks and 1 drake, descendants of the original resident Peabody mallards --- as they take an elevator, then walk a red carpet from their rooftop residence to a fountain pool in the main lobby at 11am. The performance is repeated at 5pm as they retire, up the elevator again to their Royal Duck Palace, under the guidance of resident Duckmaster Lloyd Withrow. The march is a tradition retained from the founding Peabody in Memphis TN. Lloyd cautioned everyone: “Please do not say Peking duck or à l’orange near the fountain. And please, no fowl language.”
I was strolling along Markham Street through the River Market Entertainment District on my way to the Clinton Center when I noticed an author’s book signing at The Clinton Museum Store www.clintonmuseumstore.com . Curious, I entered to find Susan McDougal of Whitewater controversy signing copies of ‘The Woman Who Wouldn't Talk’. As a key figure swept up in the real estate and sex scandals of the Clinton administration, Susan received two brief jail terms before being given a presidential pardon. She is now an advocate for prison reform. In several ways, I thought, Little Rock was proving itself to be not so small at all.
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