Two of "Little Rock Nine" recall school integration crisis as they honored Judge Davies in Fargo

Photograph by Larry Gauper

Carlotta Walls Lanier, the youngest member of the "Little Rock Nine," is shown speaking at the dedication of the new Judge Ronald N. Davies High School in Fargo, N.Dak., on Sunday, August 7, 2011. Inspired by the actions of Rosa Parks, and her own desire to get the best education available, Carlotta Walls Lanier enrolled in Little Rock (Ark.) Central High School as a sophomore. She became the first black female to graduate from Central in the spring of 1960.  Click on photos for larger images.

To her right, next to the American flag, is Dr. Terrance Roberts, another member of "the nine." He was a sophomore at Horace Mann High School in Little Rock when he volunteered to help integrate that city's Central High School in 1958. He spoke to a large audience of students, educators and those interested in history, as he participated in a panel discussion, along with Walls-Lanier, on Saturday, August 7, in Fargo.

Photograph by Larry Gauper

The new high school that was being dedicated is named after the judge who made the 1957 decision that enabled black students to attend what was formerly an all-white high school. Judge Ronald N. Davies of Fargo was, at the time, assigned to the Eastern District of the federal judiciary. His work and decision in the Little Rock school case--Aaron v. Cooper--thrust him onto an international stage. The photo is of the mural which is displayed on a wall in the school's commons area. It was created by a local artist at a cost of $13,500. Construction cost of the high school was $44 million.

Photos by Larry Gauper, August, 7, 2011