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MLK convocation to feature member of 'Little Rock Nine'

Annually, Salem State University holds a convocation as part of its celebration of the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The convocation is marked by a keynote address and readings of the three winning essays by the elementary school, middle school and high school students who wrote them. Members of the greater Salem community are invited.

When                         
Monday, January 30, at 11 am

Where                          
Veterans Hall at the Ellison Campus Center (North Campus, Lafayette Street)

Keynote speaker        
Ernest G. Green was one of the nine black students (the "Little Rock Nine") who were the first to integrate Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas, following the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education that declared segregation illegal.

Born in Little Rock in 1941, Green earned his high school diploma from Central High School. He went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in social science and a master’s degree in sociology from Michigan State University.

The recipient of numerous awards, Green was the youngest recipient (at age 17) of the NAACP’s Spingard Medal. On November 9, 1999, President Clinton presented Green, along with the rest of the “Little Rock Nine,” the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor given to a civilian, for outstanding bravery during the integration of Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Mr. Green is presently managing director of public finance for Lehman Brothers in Washington, DC.

This event is free and open to the public.