(From left) Mary Smith, Field Office Director Bessie Jackson and Thelma Mothershed-Wair

The Little Rock office celebrated Black History Month with a riveting look back at African-American education in Arkansas. The program featured speaker Mary Smith, a member of the Research Committee of the Retired Educators of Little Rock. Ms. Smith is the author of Educating the Masses, The Unfolding History of Black School Administrators in Arkansas, 1900-2000.

Thelma Mothershed-Wair, one of the surviving members of the "Little Rock Nine," lead a fascinating discussion on the events surrounding the nine African-American students who entered Little Rock Central High School on the morning of September 23, 1957. Met by over a thousand protestors, Little Rock Police escorted the nine students into the school, but as violence escalated, the students were removed from the school.

President Eisenhower would not be deterred and, with the nation and the world watching, he ordered the famous Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Kentucky to secure the area and enforce the desegregation and preserve order.

Central High School became the first important test of the historic Supreme Count decision, Brown v. Board of Education.

Members of the Field Office staff, most too young to remember the events, listened intently as Ms. Mothershed-Wair described what she saw, heard and felt during that school year.

Those in attendance enjoyed interacting with the honored guests while enjoying soul food and the soulful sounds of Rod Cole, Onyx Music Group and Cloretta Brown of Little Rock Multi-Family Housing.