On Sept. 25, 1957, Ernie Green and eight other African American students integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Ark. The Little Rock Nine, escorted by 1,200 federal troops who had been sent to shield them from the wrath of local segregationists, wrote one of the most memorable chapters in the history of the civil rights movement with their courageous walk into a hostile school. Their struggle enshrined the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision outlawing segregation as law. Green reflects on how far the nation has come:

“(W.E.B.) DuBois referred to race in the 20th century as America’s biggest problem. And going into the 21st century, I think it’s still a problem. My hope is that things like this 50th anniversary recognition of our having gone to Central highlight the importance of the discussion. . .

“I hope that whoever the new president is starts the conversation so that it is seen as an advantage and a strengthening of the country – where we go and how we improve things – rather than a discussion of the history of divisiveness. I would hope that with a change in federal policy, a change in administration, that it becomes a higher priority. We’ve had all of this divisiveness about affirmative action and whether somebody else is taking something out of somebody’s pocket. The benefit to the country is that if everybody’s pockets are full, you have more to work with. Hopefully, we can continue to redefine the issue in this way, as I think President Clinton tried to do.”

Excerpted from “Then and Now: The Impact of the Little Rock Nine”, FOCUS magazine, September-October 2007.

For information about the Little Rock Nine Foundation, go to www.littlerock9.com.

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