Carlotta Walls LaNier, at age 14, was the youngest of the nine courageous African-American students known as the Little Rock Nine who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. The integration of the Arkansas high school was a catalyzing event in the American Civil Rights Movement testing the landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court declaring segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
LaNier was later awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP in 1958. She has been part of many organizations such including the Colorado Aids Project, Jack and Jill of America, Urban League and serves as president of the Little Rock Nine Foundation. In 2009, LaNier completed her book, “A Mighty Long Way,” with foreword by Bill Clinton.