[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 355 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 355

 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding Boston's celebration of 
 the Little Rock Nine on the 50th anniversary of their courageous and 
    selfless stand in the face of hatred, violence, and intolerance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 24, 2007

    Mr. Kerry (for himself and Mr. Kennedy) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding Boston's celebration of 
 the Little Rock Nine on the 50th anniversary of their courageous and 
    selfless stand in the face of hatred, violence, and intolerance.

Whereas, on October 24, 2007, the legacy of the Little Rock Nine will be 
        celebrated in Boston's Faneuil Hall;
Whereas, in Faneuil Hall, abolitionists of the 19th Century publicly attacked 
        the evils of slavery in the United States;
Whereas Massachusetts was the center of the United States abolitionist movement 
        and a national leader in providing public education to all students, 
        regardless of race or ethnicity;
Whereas abolitionist leader and Newburyport, Massachusetts native William Lloyd 
        Garrison fueled the abolitionist movement through his powerful writing 
        in his newspaper, ``The Liberator'', and fiery public oratory;
Whereas the ``Father of American public education'', Franklin, Massachusetts 
        native Horace Mann, advocated for the end of slavery and improved access 
        for all students to quality public education;
Whereas, in 1832, Garrison and other abolitionists gathered at the African 
        Meeting House on Boston's Beacon Hill and founded the New England Anti-
        Slavery Society;
Whereas, in 1855, the Massachusetts legislature outlawed segregation in the 
        State's public schools;
Whereas, on May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court issued its ruling in 
        the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka and declared that 
        segregated education was unconstitutional;
Whereas many elementary and high schools and colleges and universities 
        throughout the United States continued to enforce a system of 
        educational inequality in which students of color were denied access to 
        their right to a quality public education;
Whereas, 3 years after the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the 
        school board of Little Rock, Arkansas, announced it would implement a 
        gradual integration of its school system beginning in September 1957;
Whereas the Little Rock chapter of the National Association for the Advancement 
        of Colored People selected 9 outstanding African-American students to 
        attend previously all-White Little Rock Central High School;
Whereas, on September 4, 1957, those 9 African-American students, Minnijean 
        Brown, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Thelma Mothershed, Melba 
        Pattillo, Gloria Ray, Terrence Roberts, Jefferson Thomas, and Carlotta 
        Walls attempted to enter Central High School;
Whereas, on September 4, 1957, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus mobilized the 
        Arkansas National Guard and ordered the armed soldiers to block the 9 
        African-American students from entering Central High School;
Whereas, after a Federal judge ordered Governor Faubus to remove the National 
        Guard, police officers and citizens of Little Rock took up positions at 
        the entrances to Central High School and continued to block the African-
        American students from entering;
Whereas, on September 23, 1957, after learning that the 9 African-American 
        students had successfully entered the school, a segregationist mob 
        gathered at Central High School and the African-American students had to 
        be escorted from the school for fear that they would be killed;
Whereas, on September 23, 1957, Little Rock Mayor Woodrow Mann, in a telegram to 
        President Dwight D. Eisenhower, appealed to the President to send 
        Federal troops to protect the students and ensure the integration of 
        Central High School;
Whereas, on September 24, 1957, President Eisenhower ordered the 101st Airborne 
        Division of the United States Army to Little Rock and federalized the 
        entire Arkansas National Guard;
Whereas, on September 25, 1957, Minnijean Brown, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest 
        Green, Thelma Mothershed, Melba Pattillo, Gloria Ray, Terrence Roberts, 
        Jefferson Thomas, and Carlotta Walls walked through the front doors of 
        Central High School, as thousands of White students had done before 
        them;
Whereas despite the constant presence of United States soldiers, the 9 African-
        American students were physically and verbally harassed throughout the 
        school year;
Whereas Minnijean Brown, after enduring months of physical and verbal harassment 
        and assaults, was expelled from Central High School for a verbal retort 
        aimed at one of her antagonists;
Whereas, at the end of the 1957-1958 school year, Ernest Green became the first 
        African-American graduate in the history of Central High School;
Whereas Minnijean Brown Trickery became a prominent social activist and works as 
        a writer and social worker in Ontario, Canada;
Whereas Ernest Green attended Michigan State University, later served as 
        Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Affairs under President Jimmy 
        Carter, and currently is a managing partner and vice president of Lehman 
        Brothers;
Whereas Elizabeth Eckford had a successful career in the same United States Army 
        that protected her at Central High School, raised 2 sons in Little Rock, 
        and now works as a social worker;
Whereas Thelma Mothershed-Wair returned to school as a teacher and now 
        volunteers in a program for abused women;
Whereas Melba Pattillo Beals is an author and journalist for People Magazine and 
        NBC Universal;
Whereas Gloria Ray Karlmark graduated from Illinois Technical College and is a 
        successful computer science writer whose work has been published in 39 
        countries;
Whereas Terrence Roberts is now Dr. Terrence Roberts and teaches at the 
        University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Antioch College and 
        also works as a clinical psychologist;
Whereas Jefferson Thomas graduated from Central High School in 1960 and works 
        for the Department of Defense as an accountant;
Whereas Carlotta Walls Lanier graduated from Central High School in 1959, 
        attended Michigan State University, and has found success in the field 
        of real estate;
Whereas the Little Rock Nine, in brave defiance of segregation, proved that with 
        access to educational opportunity all students are capable of greatness, 
        regardless of race or ethnicity;
Whereas the courage of the Little Rock Nine, broadcast for the entire world to 
        see, inspired other students of all colors to take a stand on behalf of 
        tolerance, integration, and equality;
Whereas the courage of the Little Rock Nine demonstrated to segregationists 
        throughout the United States that hatred and intolerance were no match 
        for the bravery of 9 high school students; and
Whereas, 50 years after the integration of Central High School, all Americans 
        must remain vigilant in order to ensure that every child has access to 
        quality public education, regardless of race or ethnicity: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) joins with the people of Massachusetts in honoring the 
        courage of the Little Rock Nine;
            (2) pledges to advance the legacy of the Little Rock Nine;
            (3) endeavors to ensure that no American is denied access 
        to education because of race or ethnicity; and
            (4) encourages the people of the United States to 
        remember--
                    (A) the courage of the Little Rock Nine; and
                    (B) the vital importance of equal opportunity in 
                education.
                                 <all>