Little Rock Nine

How would you respond if the weight of a country were cast on your shoulders? If history were thrust upon you?

When it arrives, how will you respond to your moment of greatness?

Yesterday I took my print reporting class to downtown Little Rock to Central High, site of the infamous desegregation crisis in 1957. That year, nine African American students sought entrance into the all-white school. Yesterday the city, state, nation and world celebrated their brave march over the lines of hatred, fear and ignorance.

I first heard of the Little Rock Nine in an Arkansas History class I took when I was a student. I knew the state had a troubled past regarding race relations (the Elaine race riots come to mind), but I had no clue as to the depths of what amounted to state-sponsored racism.

This past week has taken me on sort of a roller coaster ride through U.S. racial segregation history. Last Thursday and Friday I took the yearbook group up to Topeka, Kansas to visit the plant where the book is printed. In 1951, a group of 13 parents sued the Topeka Board of Education. After losing its initial case in District Court (based on the ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson, which allowed facilities to be separate but equal), the Brown case was reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954, by which time four similar cases had been rolled into the same case under Brown v. Board of Education. The Warren Court unanimously overturned the lower court's ruling (and effectively Plessy v. Ferguson) and in 1955 demanded that the court's decision be complied with post haste. There is a national historic site in Topeka commemorating the ruling.

Tuesday, back in Arkansas, I visited the historic site commemorating the most widely recognized public response to that 1954 decision. Despite the ruling, the fearmongers weren't going to give up without a fight (from the National Park Service):
• The LR school board presented a plan for gradual desegregation in 1955. The "Blossom Plan" dictated that high schools would be the first to integrate in September 1957.
• Mother's League of Central High School sought and was granted an injunction against integration at Central in August of 1957. Officials feared integration would lead to violence. The injunction was voided by a federal judge.
• Gov. Orval Faubus called on the state's National Guard to bar African American students from Central. The action was overruled, so Faubus sent in the LR police.
• More than 1,000 angry whites mob in front of the school threatening riot on Sept. 23. The Nine are ushered out of school for their safety. This was the scene of this infamous shot.
• After calling the mob scene outside Central "disgraceful," Pres. Eisenhower dispatches 1,200 members of the 101st Airborne to the school to ensure the safety of the Nine, and the students attend their first day of classes Sept. 25.
• One of the Nine, Earnest Green, graduates in May.
• Faubus, and various segregationist groups, succeed in closing Little Rock schools for an entire year. However, the times were already changing.

"They were coming here to learn," Gov. Mike Beebe said at yesterday's commemoration. "But what they actually did is teach."

It is sometimes hard for me to feel inspired. I often feel discouraged when I think of things I'd do differently in this world, because I feel like I will never have the voice or opportunity to do them. Yesterday's commemoration was a wake-up call from this way of thinking.

The Little Rock Nine are an inspiring group of individuals. Yesterday marked the first time the group has made public comments at the same event. They were riveting. They didn't use their time to spew invective against the city, state or people who treated them as less than human. They didn't bask in the righteousness of their cause 50 years ago. Instead, they were grateful. Grateful to those who supported them and those who came after them. They clearly sought not to dwell on the past, but to look ahead to the work that remains ahead of all of us. Their attitudes reflected a people set apart, not below a single soul, but probably above most. The crowd of around 4,000 was hushed, waiting on their every word. A smattering:

Melba Patillo Beals:
"I see hope. I see the elixir in your faces. ... We're going to make it. We have no choice."

Elizabeth Eckford:
"We can never have true reconciliation until we've truly acknowledged our painful and shared past."

Earnest Green:
"We were nine teenagers. We thought this was the place that would accept us. ...50 years later, I think we were right."

Gloria Ray Karlmark:
"By being here [earning an education] they are realizing something that is truly American."

Carlotta Walls Lanier:
"There are a lot of barriers out there, but you can overcome them if you know that you are doing the right thing. We knew we were doing the right thing."

Terrence Roberts:
"Look in the mirror and ask, 'What am I doing in support of the status quo.' Second, ask what you are willing to do to change that."

Minnijean Brown Trickey:
"Justice is a perpetual struggle...we must take that responsibility seriously."

I and my students will not soon forget the living lessons and legends we heard from yesterday. It is one thing to read of courage, it's another thing entirely to truly feel it's lasting effects. The spirit of good that drove these nine is present in all of us. The ability and compassion is stamped in us in that we were made in the image of God.

It's the choice that's left to us.

Next Step: Babies

Meet Koufax.

My new Golden Retriever pup is 12 weeks old and shares a name with maybe the greatest pitcher in the history of the game.

Pooch gives new meaning to the term "southpaw."

A few weeks back the wife and I pondered adoption. Ashlee's normally a cat person, but after a few too many, too cute doggies in the window, I had her puppy-crazed.

We considered puggles, Australian shepherds and Siberian huskies before finding a Golden breeding family straight out of the Arkansas Traveler legend. While the family seemed a bit suspect, we were sold when we met the unnamed pup you see here.

Koufax had a brother, but he seemed a bit too rambunctious; this family doesn't do rambunctious. Koufax was the one, and we plumbed the depths of our minds to come up with a proper name. Some selections:

• Sebastian (too long)
• Judge Holden (Judge for short? No)
• Dodger (too obvious)
• Gibson (awesome, but also the name of my deceased dwarf hamster)
• Rooney (probably option No. 2)
  
• Hannibal Barca (would have been awesome if I had come up with it before right now)

The first night Koufax stayed in our laundry room. We woke up Sunday morning to the fresh smell of puppy fudge all over our tile. It seems he skated on it all night. I got the scent out using Ashlee and bleach. Incidentally, this was puppy's last night inside.

That day we bought a portable kennel. Dog trainers laud the use of crates to train dogs where to and where not to make dog water and fudge. While it's seemingly cruel to leave a puppy cooped up for hours at a time, puppy books assured me I was doing well by him. The idea is to allow the pooch just enough room in his crate to turn around and lie down. Puppies do not like to eliminate where they sleep, so puppies learn to wait for greener pastures to foul than their "den," which is the role the crate fills. We've had some accidents along the way, but Koufax is getting much better at holding in his elimination until he hits grass. Fortunately for Ash and I, Koufax suffers a bit from gender identity; he pees like a chick (no hiking). I think he realizes he's not doing it right. He gets into a lunge position to do business and looks at me with his head cocked, mouth open as if to say "I really have no idea what I'm doing here." You're saving my walls and tires, buddy.

Today was a rough one for Koufax. As Ashlee readied for a marketing field trip, she let Koufax fool around in the garage out of his crate. He nibbled some breakfast, peed some floor and squeezed some toy. Sometime during his adventures, he stood against a storage tub and pulled down his good-boy treats. Petco (for those of you without) offers sundry treats for dogs near the front of its store. Last time we were there we bought him about half a pound to use as we taught him some tricks (sit is pretty tricky, right?). This morning at 7:55 there were roughly 30 treats left in the bag. At 8 a.m. there were none. At Noon-30 today, they were back at the bottom Koufax's crate floor, surrounded by a brownish lake of puppy purge. I let him out his crate immediately and he hobbled over to the grass for an odd pee/toss combination. He proceeded to throw about eight to 10 more times before I could corral him in my Jeep and race to the vet.

They called an hour ago to say his vomit is no longer proceeding north, but is now headed south (and how). She recommended boarding him tonight. He'll feel better in the morning, then it's time for more inoculations. In the meantime I'll be scouring the Beauchamp Estate grounds for puppy muffins.

Wish us luck.

College Campus Press Act

I'm a member of a college media adviser listserv. This means I hear daily how students and advisers are fighting (or not fighting) with school administrators over prior review/restraint.

Many of these advisers work at public universities. One adviser recently sent this along. I've highlighted the most interesting points. This is a move that speaks highly of the Illinois legislature and governor. It would be a dream come true to see more states, and universities, pass legislature/policies like this one. When you put faith in students, I can't help but see how it will be rewarded.

Note: Adviser is spelled with an "E." The Act itself gets this wrong under Sect. 20

College Campus Press Act

(SB0729 approved by the General Assembly in June 2007, signed by governor Aug. 31, 2007. Effective Jan. 1, 2008)

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the College Campus Press Act.

Section 5. Definitions. For purposes of this Act:

Section 10. Public forum. All campus media produced primarily by students at a State-sponsored institution of higher learning is a public forum for expression by the student journalists and editors at the particular institution. Campus media, whether campus-sponsored or non campus sponsored, is not subject to prior review by public officials of a State-sponsored institutions of higher learning.

Section 15. Grammar and journalism standards. Collegiate student editors of campus media are/responsible for determining the news, opinions, feature content, and advertising content of campus media. This Section does not prevent a collegiate media adviser from teaching professional standards of grammar and journalism to collegiate student journalists. A collegiate media adviser must not be terminated, transferred, removed, otherwise disciplined, or retaliated against for refusing to suppress protected free expression rights of collegiate student journalists and of collegiate student editors.

Section 20. Injunction and declaratory relief. A collegiate student enrolled in a State-sponsored institution of higher learning or a collegiate media advisor of a State-sponsored institution of higher learning may commence a civil action to obtain appropriate injunctive and declaratory relief as determined by a court for violation of Section 10 of this Act by such State-sponsored institution of higher learning. Upon motion, a court may award attorney’s fees to a prevailing party in a civil action brought under this Section.

Section 25. Campus policy and speech distinguished. Expression made by a collegiate student journalist, collegiate student editor, or other contributor in campus media is not neither an expression of campus policy nor speech attributable to a State-sponsored institution of higher learning.

Section 30. Discipline; unprotected speech. Nothing in this Act prohibits the imposition of discipline for harassment, threats, or intimidation, unless constitutionally protected, or for speech that is not constitutionally protected, including obscenity or incitement. (Fair enough, see SCOTUS for definition)

Section 35: Immunity. A State-sponsored institution of higher learning shall be immune from any lawsuit arising from expression actually made in campus media, with the exception of the institutions own expression. (This would have come in handy when the Bison was sued by a local coffeehouse seven years ago for a negative review)