Author Carlotta Walls LaNier Visits Massasoit

Ms. LaNier, one of the “Little Rock Nine,” will be on campus as part of Massasoit’s One Book, One College program.

March 13, 2015 – This Spring semester, Massasoit Community College offers as its One Book, One College selection, A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School by Carlotta Walls LaNier. The author writes of her experiences at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas as one of the “Little Rock Nine,” nine black students attempting to attend an all-white school following the Brown v. Board of Education decision on education equality. Her memoir, set at the beginning of the Civil Rights era, describes taunts, threats, and insults from angry mobs that brought the Arkansas National Guard out to block the students’ access to the school and President Eisenhower’s decision to send the 101st Airborne to protect their rights. Filled with heartache for the “nine” and their families, the book reminds us of the struggles of every American to receive a good education and the power of one person to make a difference.

One Book events scheduled for the semester include a writing contest for students, a Volunteer Fair, and storytelling and book reviews throughout the semester.

Carlotta Walls LaNier is scheduled to visit the Brockton campus with an open presentation for the Brockton area community on March 26. The event is open to all and is a free but ticketed event (www.massasoit.edu/tickets). A donation of a non-perishable food item for the Massasoit Food Pantry would be appreciated.