SPC Celebrates Black History Month with Member of ‘Little Rock Nine’

Elizabeth Eckford will share her story of black resistance at St. Philip’s College on Feb. 16 at 11 a.m. in the Sutton Learning Center (SLC) Bowden Alumni Center.

Eckford was the first member of the Little Rock Nine to arrive at Central High to desegregate the school in 1957. The then 15-year-old faced an enraged, racist, mob alone.

In 2007, she wrote a book about her experiences on the 60th anniversary of the desegregation of Central High. “It is a veritable ‘civil rights primer’ and weaves history in a relatable manner and includes significant events such as the lynching of Emmett Till and the murders of four Little Girls in Birmingham, Alabama,” Eckford said. “Readers have shared that the book reached them in a visceral manner that few books have ever done in the past.”

The image of Eckford’s attempt to enter Central High, featured in art on the cover of her book, was named one of the most iconic images of the 20th century. 

For a full list of Black History Month events at St. Philip’s College, go to alamo.edu/spc/bhm.