Little Rock Nine Members to Receive the 2015 Lincoln Leadership Prize, 5/18

CHICAGO, April 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation (ALPLF) announced today that it will award its prestigious Lincoln Leadership Prize to the Little Rock Nine, a group of nine schoolchildren whose attendance at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, marked the end of racial segregation in U.S. public schools. On September 25, 1957, the group received a federal troop escort by the 101 st Airborne Division as they integrated the school following the Brown v Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954. Their actions that day, and since, have helped to define the civil rights movement.

The Lincoln Leadership prize will be awarded on Monday, May 18 during a special dinner at the Hilton Chicago. The event is being held the year in which the nation commemorates the 150 th anniversary of the 13 th Amendment, passed during Abraham Lincoln's presidency and ratified eight months after his death. The amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States. The event also is being held the week in which the 61 st anniversary of Brown v Board of Education landmark ruling is commemorated.

The Little Rock Nine will be in attendance to accept the award including: Carlotta Walls LaNier, Melba Pattillo Beals, Ph.D., Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest G. Green, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Minnijean Brown Trickey, Terence J. Roberts, Ph.D. and Thelma Mothershed Wair. Jefferson Thomas, who passed away in 2010 will be represented by a family member.

"Equal access to quality education was a cornerstone of the civil rights movement," said Carlotta Walls LaNier, member of the Little Rock Nine and president of Little Rock Nine Foundation. "Thinking back, it's hard to believe there was a time when high school students had to be escorted by military guards just to attend class with their peers. But it's more important now than ever that we remember, and learn from, our nation's history."

The Lincoln Leadership Prize is an annual award that recognizes outstanding individuals for a lifetime of service in the spirit of 16 th President Abraham Lincoln. It honors individuals who manifest great strength of character, individual conscience and unwavering commitment to the defining principles of democracy.

"We are so pleased to award this year's prize to members of the Little Rock Nine for standing up for justice in the face of inequality, and for all of the work they've done to move our country forward since that day," said Dr. Carla Knorowski, Chief Executive Officer, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation. "As we celebrate their accomplishments, we are both grateful for the progress the civil rights movement has made over the past 150 years and are reminded of the significant work left to be done."

Since 2006, the ALPLF has awarded eight prestigious awards to individuals who work tirelessly to improve the lives of others. Previous honorees include the 42 nd President of the United States President Bill Clinton, former Polish President Lech Walesa, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, director Steven Spielberg, astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., and the late television journalist Tim Russert.

The annual event serves as the primary fundraiser for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation for the benefit of the Museum and Library. For more information on the Lincoln Leadership Prize Dinner and to purchase individual tickets or secure a table, please visit www.alplm.org or call the foundation office at (217) 557-6251.

About the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation supports the collections and the educational and cultural programming of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum; fosters Lincoln scholarship through the acquisition and publication of documentary materials relating to Lincoln and his era; and promotes a greater appreciation of history through exhibits, conferences, publications, online services, and other activities designed to promote historical literacy.

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SOURCE Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation (ALPLF)