Terrence Roberts, a member of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who were the first to desegregate an all-white high school in Arkansas in 1957, will be speaking during assembly Jan. 21 in honor of Black History Month.
After The Supreme Court declared segregated schools unconstitutional in 1954, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chose Roberts and eight other African-American students to attend Little Rock Central High School.
Many people in the city opposed the Little Rock Nine, but the struggles motivated Roberts to succeed, said a member of the Black Awareness and Culture Club, whose leaders announced the speaker at the 1st & 3rd Wednesday assembly Jan. 7. Roberts earned his Ph.D. and became CEO of his own company, which helps other companies to achieve healthy stress management, communication and diversity.
Assistant to the Head of Upper School Michelle Bracken also read an anonymous letter written by a student about racism and injustice to conclude the assembly.
“I feel that students at Harvard-Westlake are disconnected from some of the negativity in the world surrounding us,” Bracken read from the letter. “Although it is great that most of us are sheltered from these evils, we need to know that they exist and have the possibility of affecting members of our community.”
The Student Athletic Advisory Committee named soccer player Henry Quilici ’15 and basketball player Teeana Cotangco ’15 Student Athletes of the Month.
