Democracy in Action: A Dialogue on Civil Rights with Carlotta Walls LaNier

Join us on Thursday, April 30, at 6 p.m. for “Democracy in Action: A Dialogue on Civil Rights,” a Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture with Carlotta Walls LaNier. As part of the Clinton Presidential Center's America250 commemoration, this program will explore the dramatic changes to the fabric of American society through the lens of the Civil Rights Movement and the personal story of Mrs. Walls LaNier and her fellow Little Rock Nine members.

As we approach Central High School’s 100th anniversary and the 70th anniversary of its desegregation, this conversation will highlight the importance of reflecting on our nation’s history as well as embracing our role in American democracy – in the ongoing work of forming a “more perfect union.” Stephanie S. Streett, Executive Director of the Clinton Foundation, will moderate the conversation.

The program will be available on the Clinton Center’s YouTube channel the following day.

ASL interpretation is available during our events.

The Frank & Kula Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series is presented by the Clinton Foundation, Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas, and Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, through the generous support of the Kumpuris Family and AT&T.

More about the speaker

Carlotta Walls was the youngest of nine courageous Black students to integrate Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Following her graduation in 1960 as the first Black female to receive her diploma, she attended college and began working at the YWCA as a program administrator for teens. In 1977, she founded LaNier and Company, a real estate brokerage company. She is the author of “A MIGHTY LONG WAY: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High” for adults and young readers and a picture book entitled “Carlotta’s Special Dress.”

LaNier and the Little Rock Nine have received numerous awards and recognitions, including the prestigious Spingarn Medal from the NAACP in 1958, and the nation’s highest civilian award, the Congressional Gold Medal, which was bestowed upon them in 1999 by President Bill Clinton. She has been a member of the Urban League; NAACP; and past president of the Little Rock Nine Foundation, a scholarship organization dedicated to ensuring equal access to education.

LaNier was named a “Women of Distinction” by the Girl Scouts in 2000 and was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 2004 and the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2015. Other awards received are the National Shining Star Award from NOBEL/Women (National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women), Pere Marquette Award, Abraham Lincoln Leadership Award, five Honorary Doctorates, and she christened the nuclear submarine USS Arkansas in 2024.

She and her husband, Ira (Ike) LaNier have two grown children and are proud grandparents.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Clinton Presidential Center