>>> WE ARE BACK AT 8:12.
MORE ON OUR SPECIAL SERIES, MR.
SMITH GOES TO THE SMITHSONIAN.
>> TODAY, WE HAVE AN ITEM FROM
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY.
>> I TELL YOU, THIS IS ONE OF
THOSE STORIES THAT JUST UNFOLDED
IN ONE OF THOSE REALLY PROFOUND
AND POWERFUL WAYS.
A WARNING TO THOSE THAT ARE
VIEWING THIS MORNING.
THERE IS LANGUAGE IN THIS STORY
THAT REFLECTS SOME OF THE HATRED
THAT THIS STUDENT WHO WORE THIS
DRESS FACED ALL THOSE YEARS AGO.
>> A BLACK-PRINT DRESS ADORNED
WITH THE LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET
IN WHITE, BLUE AND TEAL.
TO WHOM DID IT BELONG?
>> WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT HERE?
>> THAT IS THE DRESS I WORE ON
THE FIRST DAY ATTENDING LITTLE
ROCK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL.
>> CARLOTA WALLS LINEAR WAS
EXCITED ABOUT STARTING A NEW
SCHOOL.
>> MY MOTHER TOOK ME DOWNTOWN
AND WE PICKED OUT THIS DRESS.
I WANTED TO LOOK LIKE ANY OTHER
STUDENT.
NEW CLOTHES, NEW SHOES.
>> IT WAS HER FIRST STORE-BOUGHT
DRESS.
LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL WAS KNOWN AS
ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY
AND THE SIGNIFICANT STEP UP FROM
THE ALL-BLACK HIGH SCHOOLS IN
THE CITY.
>> I NEVER HAD A NEW BOOK TO PUT
MY NAME IN.
IT WAS ALWAYS THE EIGHTH OR
NINTH NAME.
>> HANDED DOWN FROM THE WHITE SCHOOLS.
>> 1954, BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF
EDUCATION.
RULING THAT SEGREGATED SCHOOLING
VIOLATED THE CONSTITUTION.
WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY AROSE TO
ATTEND LITTLE ROCK’S ALL WHITE
CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, CARLOTTA
DID NOT HESITATE.
>> WERE YOUR PARENT AS WEAR YOU
WERE SIGNING UP?
>> NOT REALLY.
>> DID THEY BACK YOU?
>> THEY BACKED ME.
WE WERE TAUGHT THIS EVERY DAY,
IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, BE
PREPARED TO GO THROUGH THE DOOR.
WHETHER IT IS A CRACK IN THE
DOOR OR IT IS FLUNG WIDE OPEN,
THAT YOU NEED ALL THE EDUCATION
POSSIBLE.
>> CLAD IN HER NEW DRESS, SHE
ATTEMPTED TO GO TO SCHOOL
SEPTEMBER 4, 1957 BUT CARLOTTA
AND HER BLACK CLASSMATES WHO
CAME BE KNOWN AS THE LITTLE ROCK
NINE WERE MET BY AN ANGRY MOB.
>> COULD YOU HEAR WHAT WAS GOING
ON IN THE MOB?
>> I HEARD ALL OF THE NAME
CALLING AND SO FORTH.
ALL OF THAT WAS LIKE WATER OFF A
DUCK’S BACK FOR ME.
>> ON THE WAY TO THE ENTRANCE,
THEY WERE STOPPED BY THE
ARKANSAS NATIONAL GUARD.
ORDERED THERE BY THE GOVERNOR
NOT TO PROTECT THE NEW STUDENTS
BUT TO PREVENT THEM FROM
ENTERING THE SCHOOL.
THE SHOCK AND DISAPPOINTMENT
PLAIN ON HER PHRASE.
SHE WAS NOT RETURN TO THIS
SCHOOL UNTIL SEPTEMBER 23.
THE GUARD WAS GONE, THE MOB HAD
GROWN.
NOW A THOUSAND FURIOUS WHITES
THERE TO PROTEST.
THE LITTLE ROCK NINE SNUCK IN
BUT BARELY MADE IT TO THIRD
PERIOD.
>> WE WERE ALL ESCORTED TO THE
BOWELS OF THE SCHOOL WHERE THERE
WERE TWO POLICE CARS.
WE WERE TOLD TO GET INTO THESE
CARS.
ONE POLICEMAN SAID THEY ARE
WANTING TO HANG ONE OF THESE
NIGGERS, WHICH ONE SHOULD BE
BASICALLY GIVE TO THE CROWD --
>> THAT WAS THE CONVERSATION IN
THE MOB?
>> THE POLICE.
THE TWO POLICEMEN SAYING THEY
ARE WANTING ONE OF THESE KIDS TO LYNCH.
>> PRESIDENT EISENHOUR HAD SEEN
ENOUGH.
HE CALLED OUT THE 101st
AIRBORNE.
>> HE CALLS OUT THE 101st
AIRBORNE.
>> THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS GROUP WE
HAD WHO HAD MADE A NAME FOR
THEMSELVES IN WORLD WAR II.
>> EVEN WITH THEM AT HER SIDE,
THE WHITE STUDENTS FOUND WAYS TO
LET HER KNOW THEY WERE NOT
WELCOME.
PEOPLE WERE SPITTING ON YOU?
>> YES.
SPITTING ON ME.
CALLING ME NAMES.
KNOCKING ME INTO THE HALLS.
I PICKED MY BOOKS UP, YOU BETTER
HAVE YOUR BACKSIDE TO THE WALL
OR YOU’LL GET KICKED IN THE
REAR.
>> DESPITE ALL, SHE MADE THE
HONOR ROLL THAT FALL.
HER REPORT CARD ALSO AT THE
SMITHSONIAN.
>> WE WERE JUST DOING WHAT WE
WERE SUPPOSED TO DO.
WITH HE WERE GOING TO SCHOOL.
ALL WE WERE WANTING TO DO, TO
GET THE BEST EDUCATION
AVAILABLE.
I REALLY DIDN’T UNDERSTAND ANY
OF THAT UNTIL I WAS A PARENT
MYSELF AND REALLY REALIZED THAT
THE REAL HEROES AND SHEROS IN
THIS WERE REALLY OUR PARENTS TO
ALLOW THEIR CHILDREN TO CONTINUE
TO GO EACH DAY.
>> THE GOVERNOR SHUT THE SCHOOL
DOWN FOR A YEAR.
HER HOME WAS ATTACKED.
YET, SHE PERSISTED.
IN THE SPRING OF 1960, CARLOTTA
BECAME THE FIRST BLACK GIRL TO
GRADUATE FROM LITTLE ROCK
CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL.
>> I REMEMBER MY NAME BEING
CALLED AND I WALKED UP TO
RECEIVE MY DIPLOMA.
DID I HEAR ANYTHING, ANY
CLAPPING OR ANYTHING?
NO.
BUT THAT WAS OKAY.
I HAD COMPLETED WHAT I STARTED.
>> SHE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT ALL OF
THIS THAT CAME OUT ABOUT 10
YEARS AGO, SUCH A GOOD READ
CALLED "A MIGHTY LONG WAY."
IN A LONG CAREER OF DOING ONE OF
THESE SORTS OF THINGS.
ONE OF THE HONORS OF MY LIFE,
PRE-COVID-19 OF COURSE, WAS TO
SIT DOWN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION
WITH HER.
AN AMAZING WOMAN.
>> THE POINT SHE MADE ABOUT
PARENTS BACK THEN BEING WILLING
AND ABLE TO ALLOW THEIR CHILDREN
TO GO TO SCHOOLS LIKE THAT DAY
IN AND DAY OUT.
THANK GOD SHE FOUND AND WORE
THAT DRESS AND GRADUATED FROM
CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL.
>> AMAZING.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY.
THE BUILDINGS OF THE SMITHSONIAN
ARE CLOSED.
IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOUR KIDS
CAN GO TO SCHOOL OR NOT.
THEY HAVE AMAZING NUMBERS OF
ONLINE LEARNING RESOURCES, LABS,
INCLUDING ONE ON INTEGRATION IN
WHICH THE DRESS STORY IS TOLD.
THEY HAVE THIS AMAZING ARRAY OF
OPPORTUNITIES WHICH YOU CAN
LEARN ALL KINDS OF GREAT STUFF
ONLINE.
>> AMERICA’S ATTIC ONLINE.
THANK YOU.
>> JUST BEAUTIFUL.
AMAZING TO HEAR HER TELL HER
STORY IN HER OWN WORDS AND
STRIKING TO THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH
COURAGE SHE HAD TO HAVE AND