This is Little Rock Central High School, photographed last Saturday afternoon. It looks pretty much as it did just over 50 years ago, when it became the national symbol of state resistance to school desegregation. On a human level, it was when nine brave African-American souls endured unimaginable horrors as they dared to seek an education at the all-white Little Rock Central High School. Three years after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, which officially ended public-school segregation, a federal court ordered Little Rock to comply. Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, along with the majority of the white population, weren't too keen on the idea. To them it was beyond blasphemy; a direct challenge to the only way of life they had ever known. Anyway, they figured the "separate but equal" policy regarding educational facilities seemed to make the whole thing pointless. But "separate but equal" was of course a total lie. Central High, built in 1927, cost 1.5 million dollars. Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, for African American students built upon the conclusion of Central High's construction, cost only $400,000, with much of the funding coming from private grants outside of the state of Arkansas. The Governor defied the court, calling in the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the nine students -"The Little Rock Nine" - from entering the building. However, ten days later in a meeting with President Eisenhower, Faubus agreed to use the National Guard to protect the African American teenagers. But upon his return to Little Rock he dismissed the troops, leaving the brave students exposed to an angry, ugly white mob. Within hours, the jeering, brick-throwing mob had beaten several reporters and smashed many of the school's windows and doors. By noon, local police were forced to evacuate the nine students. Not only had they been physically assaulted, but their entire body and clothes were soaking wet with spit courtesy of their white school mates, an occurrence that lasted for weeks after finally being admitted. So when Governor Faubus went back on his word and abandoned the black students, President Eisenhower dispatched 101st Airborne Division paratroopers to Little Rock and put the Arkansas National Guard under federal command. By 3 a.m., soldiers surrounded the school, bayonets fixed. There must be a special place in hell where Faubus now resides. Under federal protection, the "Little Rock Nine" finished out the school year. But it was pure hell. They said the hallways and P.E. classes were the worst. They dare not try to use the "white" restrooms, so they refrained from drinking any water the entire day. Actually drinking from the "white" water fountains would have no doubt caused even more altercations. When they went home at the end of the day the first thing they had to do was strip down and take a shower, because they were drenched due to reasons stated above. The story doesn't end here, but space restrictions bring me to a close. Standing there where I had seen footage of hate filled mobs attacking fellow humans whose only "crime" was seeking a better education, was moving beyond anything I could write here. We walked the hallways of Central High last Saturday, and saw posters announcing winners, both black and white, for Black History Month essays. It reminded me that while there's always more progress to be made, show me another country that has addressed social injustice on this level and made the progress and change that we have in the last 50 years. In 2007 there was an emotional 50-year anniversary ceremony at Central High, and the surviving eight students received a hero's welcome. Not only is the Central High of yesterday forever gone, it's now a national monument to serve as a constant reminder for us all to not only remember of what once was, but also to focus on what can be accomplished. The Little Rock Nine are my most inspiring heroes. Their bravery was beyond comprehension. marshall