Secretary Kempthorne to Help Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Desegregation of Little Rock Central High School

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne will attend events on Monday, September 24 and Tuesday, September 25 in Little Rock, Ark., to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Central High School.

On September 25, 1957, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division escorted a group of African American teenagers through the front doors of Little Rock Central High School. On that day those students, who we now know as the Little Rock Nine, took the first steps toward desegregation in Little Rock public schools. That day brought our nation further along the path toward equality.

Secretary Kempthorne will participate in events to commemorate that historic event, including a ceremony to dedicate the new visitor center at the National Park Service’s Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, September 24, 2007, and the city’s anniversary commemoration celebrating the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in 1957 at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 25, 2007. Both events are open to the public.

Who:	Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne
What:	of the new visitor center at Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School
When:	Dedication of the new visitor center at Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site 10:00 a.m., Monday, September 24, 2007 Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Where:	Dedication of the new visitor center at Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site 2120 Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive Little Rock, Ark. Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School Little Rock Central High School 1500 South Park Street Little Rock, Ark.
Media:	For credentialing information and questions about the events, members of the media should contact the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site at (501) 374-3067 or the city of Little Rock.