Member of Little Rock Nine shares his story

On Sept. 25, 1957, nine black teenagers led the effort to desegregate public schools by braving the halls of Central High School in Little Rock, A.R.

Thursday, Terrence Roberts — one of the so-called Little Rock Nine — came to UNC as part of the week-long Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration.

His talk in the Student Union auditorium was sponsored by the history department, the Carolina Union Activities Board and Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Justin Rucker, Kappa Alpha Psi president, said that Roberts’ speech related to the overall theme of the week, which explored the question of whether Americans live in a post-racial world.

“He has experience in a very overtly racist America, but at the same time he can speak on some things that are going on today,” Rucker said.

Roberts shared the challenges he faced and lessons he learned with a crowd of about 70 students and faculty members.

He touched on hardships and hatred, but his main message was one of love.

“I remember hearing the golden rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,’” he said. “And I jumped out of my chair and shouted, ‘Hallelujah! Life is going to be grand.’”

But Roberts later found that not everyone had the same outlook. As a teenager, he was attacked for sitting on a stool in a whites-only hamburger joint in Little Rock.

“Something inside of me snapped as I ran out,” he said. “I could no longer play this game of going through the motions of accepting segregation.”

That moment inspired Roberts to take a stand by volunteering to transfer to Central High School.

Although 150 students initially volunteered, the number dwindled to nine as nervous parents decided not to risk the controversial move.

UNC students said they appreciated Roberts’ personal history and words of wisdom.

Freshman Martina Evans said she was grateful for the chance to hear Roberts speak.

“Thanks to him, I’m able to attend Carolina,” Evans, who is black, said. “Opportunities like this don’t happen often.”

As UNC’s week of celebration and discussion drew to a close, Roberts said there is still a long way to go in the fight for civil rights.

“The civil rights movement, for me, began in 1619, and continues unabated on Jan. 20, 2011,” he said.

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