But Parker said she wanted to hear all of the Little Rock Nine speak. They made the world a better place. For Central student Allison Holt, the program underscored her school's role in history. Across the campus, Martha Williams and her teen-age son Franklin McMurrian stood behind barricades on 14th Street, holding up protest signs. The half-dozen protesters identified themselves as belonging to American Families Real in Christ, an organization they said combats economic and social injustice.
Some people feel it's a big showboat.
I think it's a mixture of both. I see it as more of a way for people of all races to get together. I think some people will take it to heart. I'm not here to celebrate that we solved all the race problems. The Little Rock Nine deserved to be honored for their struggle.