Thelma Mothershed-Wair, one of the Little Rock Nine, passes away
By Brandon Ringo,
7 hours ago
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Thelma Mothershed-Wair, the eldest member of the Little Rock Nine passed away on Saturday.
Mothershed-Wair was born on November 29, 1940, in Bloomberg, Texas and became a national hero as one of nine African American students involved in the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in 1957.
She was a successful student and was able to graduate from Central High in the 1958–59 school year after completing the necessary credits in order to graduate.
Mothershed-Wair would go on to marry Fred Wair on Dec. 26, 1965 and the couple had one son. She also earned a bachelor’s degree at Southern Illinois University and worked at the Juvenile Detention Center of the St. Clair County Jail in St. Clair County, Illinois.
In 1999, Mothershed-Wair, along with the other members of the Little Rock Nine, were awarded the nation’s highest civilian award and a Congressional Gold Medal by former president and Arkansas governor Bill Clinton.
Beatles member Paul McCartney posted a picture on social media in 2016 with Mothershed-Wair and Elizabeth Eckford, calling them pioneers of the civil rights movement and inspiration for the hit song “Blackbird”.
In a statement, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. said that she and the other members of the Little Rock Nine altered the course of history in the city and the nation forever.
“While we mourn the transition of Thelma Mothershed Wair, we also pay tribute to her lasting legacy, seen in generations of Americans empowered by her courage and perseverance,” Scott, Jr. said. “She and fellow members of the Little Rock 9 set us on a better path that altered the course of history in our City and nation forever. As a successful educator, author and advocate, she lived a life we lift up today upon her passing. Our prayers and support are with her loved ones at this difficult time.”
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