News Release

64th anniversary

The front façade of Central High School at dusk

NPS Photo

News Release Date: September 12, 2021

Contact: Brian Schwieger, 501-374-1957

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas - Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site will commemorate the 64th anniversary of Central High School’s desegregation by the Little Rock Nine with virtual programs on Friday and Saturday, September 24 and 25, 2021.


The online programs will center around the theme "The Struggle for Equity and Equality" and are available through a partnership with the Little Rock School District and Central High School.


Programs on Friday, September 24 begin at 5:30 p.m. CDT and include conversations with Phoebe Ferguson and Keith Plessy, descendants from the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision that established "separate but equal”; Jerry Mitchell, the Director of the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting on cold cases in the Civil Rights Movement (6:30 p.m. CDT); and Lynne Jackson, the great-great-granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott on using commemoration and reconciliation to educate on the legacy of her past (7:30 p.m. CDT).


Saturday, September 25 will feature a moderated dialogue with The Movement on "The Struggle for Equity and Equality: Then and Now” at 3:00 p.m. CDT. The Movement is a local group of young change makers and thought leaders working to inform the Little Rock community on social justice, mental health, and youth development issues.


All events are free and available online; for program links and more information, visit Special Programs on the park's website.