A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School

Carlotta Walls Lanier, the author of A Mighty Long Way, is one of the Little Rock nine who helped to integrate Little Rock, Arkansas' Central High School in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This memoir was an easy read - at least as far as the writing goes. What was not easy was the idea of school segregation and the the racist behavior that Carlotta and her friends endured during their high school years. When most teenagers were busy attending football games, dating, and hanging out with their friends, Carlotta spent her days worrying about the safety of herself and her family and finding her way in an environment that she was not often welcomed in. She faced roadblocks on her road to graduation that her white peers never had to encounter, sometimes being unable to attend school due to threats made against her.Carlotta achieved her dream of graduating from Central High School along with some of the other students who helped to integrate the school. While they did achieve their goal, it was not without a price. Carlotta does not complain about the path she chose in life, but does recognize that attending high school under such stressful circumstances did affect her ability to concentrate and accomplish certain things in college.History books make mention of the Little Rock nine, and most students do know the story of Ruby Bridges, yet even having a little knowledge about this chapter in history did not give me the perspective that a person who lived it is able to. Walls did not write her memoir until later in her life, having tried to leave her infamy behind. Remembering the events she lived through was hard when she first began accepting speaking offers, but Walls persevered and continued to share her story with others. Today the Little Rock nine are a group of friends who meet and keep up with each other regularly. Their shared experience have bound them for life. Walls' first person account of this period in history is honest and interesting, and could easily be used in a high school curriculum as well as for pleasure reading. Any reader will be inspired by Walls' determination and pride

Because I am the same age as the author, grew up in Arkansas, and had a friend who went to Central High, I identified closely with this story and was glued to it. I only remember bits of what happened and had no idea of the extent of injustices that resulted. I only know I've been ashamed of being from Arkansas as a result, and so I identified her gradual thawing and final acceptance of it.I also identified with a girl who was always expected to make the right decisions and had little communication with her parents. Who shut down her feelings. I thought while reading it, so typical of a child raised in an alcoholic family, and then 3/4 through the book I realized her grandfather was an alcoholic, and I think her mother was affected by that and passed it on to Carlotta.I found myself shutting down too as I read it, and the tears came when she suddenly announces her marriage to a man the "made her laugh". Thank God she found him. He's handsome too. Once she found herself in her marriage and chosen career, she was able to face the ghosts of the past. A story of healing and reconciliation. A MUST READ.

In my African Americans history college class, I was needed to read a book and write about that topic. This book immediately jumped out at me. This book was fascinating to hear about Ms. Walls difficult experience in trying to integrate into the public schools. After reading this book, I began to work on my research paper. I was able to get an A on the paper! This book was a great read, so much that I struggled to put it down.

I had read the book WARRIORS DON’T CRY and expected to hear much of the same detail. Instead, I found a totally different personality, someone who wanted to disappear into the woodwork, but eventually felt compelled to share her views. I knew about the police chief, but I hadn’t known that he died in a violent way. I also hadn’t known about the two boys accused of bombing the Walls’ home. Fascinating read.

"A Might Long Way" was emotional from the forward by President Bill Clinton to the last page. Mrs. Lanier book is well written and seems like she has been writing books forever. She told her story of integrated an all white High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. The book read like a novel and only if it was fiction it would not hurt as bad to relive her struggle to get a better education for herself which help all Americans to get a better education. "A Might Long Way" had no bad qualities. The story was told with enough detail setting you up for the next event in the author's life. "A Mighty Long Way" made me proud and grateful that these nine young men and woman endured the spiting and tripping and other awful things so I could have a better life. It taught us that this was not a one day event or a one year event this was a minimal four year event and probably longer for those who followed in their footsteps. It also educated me because I was really ignorant on the history. Yes I have heard of Little Rock Nine but I did not know the details of the story. Mrs. Lanier story was one of courage and struggle. It reminded me of the struggles I go through with being a minority in my own profession. The book made me think of the barriers that are still in front of minorities and made me wonder would there be a time that all barriers would fall for good. President Obama election has brought out the worst in race relations; so not even a minority president has brought down barriers. "A Might Long Way" reminded me of how many people before me has pave the way so I can have the life I have now. It also gives me the strength to try and fight my way through a field where minority still struggle to be recognize. I enjoyed learning so much about Little Rock Nine's struggle to integrate Central High School that I would consider reading books by any of the other eight that may have written their stories on Little Rock Nine.

Enjoyed this book, a well written narrative of events of the time. Down to earth and honest , intense in places , lighter in others but very unpretentious.

This should be a standard text in schools everywhere. The story is inspirational and speaks to anyone determined to take their place in the world, carried by the belief in his or her own intrinsic worth.