Ernest Green, One of the Little Rock Nine, to speak at Arkansas State, Tuesday, Feb. 11
JONESBORO – Ernest Green, one of the Little Rock and former managing director of public finance for Lehman Brothers in Washington, D.C., will be the keynote speaker for the Arkansas State University Multicultural Center’s “Tribute to Black History Month” on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 6 p.m. in Centennial Hall, Carl R. Reng Student Union.
Green will discuss how his experience as one of the Little Rock Nine has shaped his life and career. As this is the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Green also will be addressing the status of civil rights in America.
A reception will follow, also in Centennial Hall, and Green will be available for photos and autographs, according to Niya Blair, director of the Multicultural Center at A-State.
Several books, movies and documentaries have chronicled Green and his eight classmates’ time at Central High School in Little Rock, the most recent being the “Ernest Green Story,” produced and distributed by the Walt Disney Corporation.
In 1958, Green became the first African-American student to earn a high school diploma from Central High School. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Michigan State. He went on to serve as the assistant secretary of labor for employment and training during the Carter Administration and was appointed by President Clinton to serve as the chairman of the African Development Foundation.
In November of 1999, President Clinton presented Green and the rest of the Little Rock Nine the Congressional Gold Medal.
The event at A-State is free and open to the public. The Multicultural Center, Office of Diversity Initiatives, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and College of Business are sponsoring the event.
For a complete list of 2014 Black History Month events, one may visit the center’s website, http://www.astate.edu/multiculturalcenter/. Interested individuals also may call the Multicultural Center at (870) 680-4052 or email astatemc@astate.edu.
# # #
