From ‘Little Rock Nine’ to Obama’s second Inauguration, Central High School makes civil rights history again

Once the site of one of the most tumultuous and significant events in the desegregation of public schools, Central High School now has a rich and diverse student population and has changed significantly since nine black students were yelled at, harassed and abused just for trying to get an education.

Today, the Little Rock Central High School band, under the direction of my brother Brice Evans, will march in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. LRCHS was the only high school from Arkansas chosen for this event.

Last night, NBC News’ Lester Holt did an amazing story on Central High’s significance in the Civil Rights Movement in the mid-20th century. It also includes an interview with one of the surviving members of the Little Rock Nine. Here it is. If you want to know which one is my brother is, look for a few seconds and you’ll see the Baldest Man In America wearing a black shirt and directing the students on the field.

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Call me a proud little sister. But even moreso, I want to take this time to stress the importance of preserving the arts in our schools. This is proof that music education really can take you places.

If you’d like to see the Central High School Marching band perform, I’ve been informed by my sources that they’ll be on sometime between 5 and 6 p.m. EST during the parade.