Weekly Reflection: The Witness of Carlotta Walls

During Black History Month, most attention is given to major figures such as Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King, Jr. While it is important to learn about these famous leaders, it is equally important to learn about less famous people who made significant sacrifices and contributions to advance our nation’s ideal of liberty and justice for all. During the modern Civil Rights Movement, thousands of Black students put their lives on the line in the face of massive resistance to racial integration. Among them were the Little Rock Nine who integrated Central High School in the 1957-58 school year. In 2010, I had the privilege of attending a program at the Smithsonian Museum of American History that featured several members of the Little Rock Nine including Carlotta Walls LaNier who was the youngest of the nine. I spoke briefly with her and she signed my copy of her book with the words, “Keep the faith on the journey to justice! Carlotta.” Her witness of faith and courage was not limited to entering the formerly all white high school. She and the other Black students endured ongoing threats and harassment throughout that school year. Despite their peaceful presence in the face of that persecution, the governor of Arkansas closed all city high schools the next school year. Carlotta returned the following school year to determined to graduate when schools opened again. On February 9, 1960 her home was bombed. Police arrested and beat her father could not get him to confess to a crime he did not commit. Two Black teenagers were then arrested despite lack of evidence connecting them to the bombing. Amazingly Carlotta went to school the day after the bombing to show that she could not be intimidated by this racial terror. She graduated in the spring of 1960. In reflecting on what she endured during her time at Central High School, she wrote,

In those moments, it never occurred to me to ask God, “Why so much pain?”  When I thought about Jesus Christ and the profound suffering he endured, that made my own challenges seem small.  I told myself that I could surely go on. (from A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School by Carlotta Walls Lanier)

The witness of Carlotta Walls and the other members of the Little Rock nine reminds me that progress toward racial justice includes the commitment of many who remain largely unknown to most people. Yet learning about their witness shows what is possible when faith, courage, and community support form the foundation of commitment to the ongoing journey to racial justice. The first video posted below tells the story of the bombing of Carlotta’s home, and the second video features a more recent interview with Carlotta Walls LaNier as she continues her commitment to racial justice.