Trailblazers in school desegregation will give free presentation in Muscatine

Carlotta Walls LaNier of the Little Rock Nine and Dr. Leona Tate of the New Orleans Four are coming to Iowa for three evenings of conversations in October.

Six-year-old Ruby Bridges is the most well-known child to integrate an all-white elementary school in the South. On Nov. 14, 1960, she integrated William Frantz Elementary in New Orleans. But on the same day in New Orleans, six-year-old Leona Tate and three other girls—later known as The New Orleans Four—integrated the all-white McDonogh 19 Elementary School. They were escorted by U.S. Marshals.

Three years earlier, in 1957, Carlotta LaNier and eight other teenagers in Arkansas—The Little Rock Nine— integrated Little Rock Central High School. They were escorted by soldiers from the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division.

“The struggle for educational equality was never limited to one city or one state,” said Tate. “Susan Clark’s courage in Iowa during the 1860s and our experience in New Orleans during the 1960s are part of a larger history of young people and families challenging segregation and demanding the right to an equal education.”

Clark and her father, civil rights activist Alexander Clark, were instrumental in integrating Iowa schools. After 12-year-old Susan was denied admission to Muscatine’s all-white school in 1867, her father took the case to the Iowa Supreme Court. In 1868, they won.

“Bringing these stories together allows us to recognize both the progress that has been made and the work that remains,” said Tate.

The two women will appear in Des Moines and Algona, and, on Oct. 1, in Muscatine. From 6-8 p.m., they will give a presentation at Stanley Center for Peace and Security, 304 Iowa Ave. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is recommended here.

Each evening will begin with a 30-minute reception, followed by a 60-minute program during which LaNier and Tate will share their stories through short multi-media presentations and engage in conversation with moderators, author Rachelle Chase and agriculturalist Joshua Manske, along with audience members.

The Muscatine evening will also include Joshalyn Hickey-Johnson, author of "Susie Clark: The Bravest Girl You’ve Ever Seen."

All evenings will end with a book signing, where attendees can chat with LaNier and Tate and purchase their books. Hickey-Johnson will also meet with attendees and sign books.

“I hope these conversations remind us that change is possible when people have the courage to challenge injustice, and that each generation has a responsibility to carry that work forward,” said Tate. “The struggle I faced in 1960 and still face today, connects with Susan Clark's struggle in 1860, but the core issues remain: Who gets access, who gets heard, and who is willing to stand up when the system is unfair.”

The Iowa events are the following partners and sponsors: Stanley Center for Peace and Security, co-organizer Joshua Manske, co-organizer Rachelle Chase, Deborah Manske, Iowa Farmers Union, Black Child Development Institute – Iowa, and Plymouth Church, Des Moines.

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