WINFREY: There's some emotional moments here for the
seven of the Little Rock 9 who integrated Central High in 1957.
I was saying before the break that indifference-
many of the people who stood by and did absolutely
nothing were contributors to a--a--a lot of the hatred that went on.
Gene, what do you want to say about that?
Mr. GENE PORTER: Well, I had--Melba, you were in my homeroom,
and I did see thumbtacks put on your chair.
And, Ernest, I was in your gym class and I saw the results of the-
of your gym clothes when someone had
urinated through the vents on your clothes.
I did witness the wet towels that were tied in knots.
I was 15, 16 years old, and most of these w--these kids you can-
you can't see past your nose.
And you--you don't understand or you don't realize
what impact this is going to have on future generations.
You react to a situation and I was...
WINFREY: Did you feel badly then doing nothing?
Mr. PORTER: I felt bad because we're all people.
We--we're--I was going to school with friends
who I had gone to elementary, junior high with.
I did not understand r--then why you-all wanted
to come to--to Central High School,
why you would want to leave your friends,
things that you knew,
that you were comfortable with;
why you would even want to be with me or-
there were 1,800 kids in that high school.
WINFREY: It wasn't about being with you, Gene.
It was about getting...
Unidentified Panelist: ...(unintelligible).
WINFREY: It really wasn't.
Mr. PORTER: When I say--when I say me, I'm talking about 1,800.
WINFREY: Yeah, I know what you mean,
but I--I think--I--that's--you give me an opportunity to make a good point.
Mr. PORTER: Right.
WINFREY: It wasn't about we just want to be with white kids.
Mr. PORTER: Right.
WINFREY: It was about being able to have the facilities and the books
and an equal ed--education.
Mr. PORTER: Right. And--and--and I agree with you.
WINFREY: Now you get it, right?
Mr. PORTER: I am mature now.
WINFREY: Please tell me you get it now. Yeah.
Mr. PORTER: I am mature now.
WINFREY: Yeah.
Mr. PORTER: I can--I have the power of reasoning.
WINFREY: Right.
Mr. PORTER: Back then, I--I--I had now--you react to a situation.
WINFREY: Yeah.
Ann, you got pulled out of school after
one month--your parents did, right?
Because...
Ms. BURLESON: Yes. And he was talking about
not being raised in a racist family.
WINFREY: Mm-hmm.
Ms. BURLESON: I was raised in a racist family.
And the main reason I want to be here today
is to tell you how regretful I am for causing what should have
been the best year of your life the most miserable.
I went along because I was afraid.
I--you can't imagine for 38 years how badly I have felt.
That does not do anything for y--for what happened.
That does not--I--I'm just sorry.
I'm very sorry.
WINFREY: And what are you most sorry about?
Ms. BURLESON: Bec...
WINFREY: The way you behaved?
The way you were thinking?
The way you were raised?
The--what?
Ms. BURLESON: Wha--the--for not doing what I knew was wrong.
I can tell you that every day of my life at Central was in fear.
I cannot remember my homeroom teacher's name,
but I can remember on the corner of 14th
and Park Street white men trying to turn over a 1954 Chevrolet with an
elderly black man in it.
The fear to this day--I--I--I get chill bumps.
I did nothing.
I went along.
I never--my--my participation was chanting,
but that was--I--it was awful,
and I was so afraid, and I knew it was wrong.
I was only 15, but at the time, I knew I was being wr--I was wrong.
WINFREY: You were afraid of retaliation from your white friends?
Ms. BURLESON: From my white friends...
WINFREY: Your family.
Ms. BURLESON: ...from my family.
I can't tell you things that was said in my home,
and I'm--I'm sorry about that.
I can do nothing about that.
WINFREY: What were they saying to you at home?
Ms. BURLESON: `You're not going to school with those niggers.'
I'm sorry. This is what I was raised.
This is how I was raised.
And it--it was not--it was awful, and I am so regretful. I'm...
Ms. LINNEAR: Did you break the chain?
If you--you were taught racism at home,
did you break that chain at home with your children?
Ms. BURLESON: I broke that chain with my children.
Ms. LINNEAR: And that's very, very akin to me...
Ms. BURLESON: That is wh--that's what I think I've done right.
WINFREY: Gene, are you sorry? Did you--did you...
Mr. PORTER: Oh, yes, I am sorry...
PORTER: ...certainly.
WINFREY: Mm-hmm.
WINFREY: Mm-hmm. But did you feel powerless then?
Mr. PORTER: I felt powerless.
Also, peer pressure has a lot to do when you're in--at that age.
Mr. GREEN: Well--and I think Gene represented...
Ms. GREEN: ...probably the bulk of students that did nothing...
Ms. BEALS: Yeah.
Mr. LINNEAR: Right. Yes.
Mr. GREEN: ...and was silent. I mean...
WINFREY: But you all say you remember Robin.
I remember you saying that, that y...
Mr. GREEN: Well, Robin...
WINFREY: ...you remember Robin smiled because Robin
befriended all of you.
Mr. GREEN: Robin was one of the few days faces that was friendly.
Ms. BEALS: Yeah. Because--and--and many days when somebody's
beating you in the back with a tennis racket and you're spitting up blood or
somebody's putting acid in your eyes, the only thing you got is a smile.
Mr. GREEN: It's the great silence. It's the silence.
Ms. LINNEAR: That's right.
Mr. GREEN: It's the people who don't speak up,
and if there's any lesson to be learned, now 30,
almost 40 years now,
Gene will admit he should have spoken up,
and hopefully somebody watches this show
and will be moved enough to stand up for
something that's right.