In 1957, Carlotta Walls LaNier was the youngest among the first black students who bravely attended Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas under the protection of armed troops.
This year, as the nation and Michigan State University mark 60 years since the Brown vs. Board of Education decision, LaNier will speak to graduates of the College of Education during the Baccalaureate Commencement program starting at 3:30 p.m. May 4 at Breslin Center.
A member of the famous Little Rock Nine, LaNier successfully graduated from high school despite facing hostility and violent protests. She went on to attend MSU for two years before moving to Colorado, where she currently resides. She will share the hardships and rewards of her role in the movement to integrate American schools–and her advice for today’s young people.
“Ms. LaNier is a gifted speaker who I know will inspire our graduates as they embark on their careers,” said Donald E. Heller, dean of the College of Education. “She has a wonderful story to tell about her central role in the civil rights movement in the United States.”
In addition, Heller says, her visit is an important part of the college’s participation in Project 60/50, the university-wide celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, and the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Like other members of the Little Rock Nine, LaNier was encouraged to pursue her postsecondary education at MSU. Along with her career in real estate, LaNier has dedicated her life to creating equal opportunities for all people. President Bill Clinton presented her with the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in 1999.
She published a memoir in 2009, titled “A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School.”
The College of Education’s undergraduate commencement program is free and open to the public.