Thelma mothershed wair biography of martin luther

American activist (–)

Thelma Mothershed-Wair
Mothershed-Wair with Rep. Vic Snyder in
Born	Thelma Mothershed ()November 29, Bloomburg, Texas, U.S.
Died	October 19, () (aged&#;83) Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
Education	Little Rock Central High School
Occupation	Teacher
Known&#;for	One of the Little Rock Nine
Spouse	Fred Wair
Children	1
Awards	Congressional Gold Medal ()

Thelma Mothershed-Wair (néeMothershed; November 29, – October 19, ) was an American activist who was the eldest member of the Little Rock Nine group, who attended Little Rock's Central High School following the Brown vs.

Board of Education court case. The Little Rock Nine was a group of nine African-American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in Their enrolment was followed by the Little Rock Crisis, in which the students were initially prevented from entering the racially segregated school by Orval Faubus, then Governor of Arkansas.

Thelma mothershed wair biography of martin luther king Awards and recognition [ edit ]. She founded and served as the Editor-in-Chief for Computers in Industry , an international journal of computer science and engineering. The rest of the Little Rock Nine completed their high school educations at different schools. Faubus closed all of the schools in Little Rock in to try to avoid further integration.

They were able to attend due to the intervention of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Early life

Thelma Mothershed was born in Bloomburg, Texas on November 29, , the daughter of Arlevia and Hosanna Claire Mothershed.^[1][2] Mothershed had five siblings: three sisters and two brothers.^[1] She attended Dunbar Junior High and Horace Mann High schools, and despite daily torment from white students at Little Rock Central High School, she completed her junior year at the formerly all-white high school during the tumultuous –58 year.^[1][2] Mothershed was a very successful student and was able to graduate from Central High in the –59 school year after going out of her way to complete all the necessary credits in order to graduate on time.^[1][3]

Little Rock Nine

Main article: Little Rock Nine

The Little Rock Nine were a group of African-American students who began the integration, or the desegregation, of all white schools in Little Rock, Arkansas.

When Governor Orval Faubus ordered the Arkansas National Guard to surround Little Rock Central High School to keep the nine students from entering the school, President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the st Airborne Division into Little Rock to insure the safety of the "Little Rock Nine".^[4][5] This group of brave students were tormented, ridiculed, harassed, and even assaulted daily for simply attending what would now be considered a regular public school.

In an attempt to halt the desegregation of this school, a 'lost year' had occurred, leaving some students stranded unless they were able to take extra courses (like Mothershed did).

Biography of john knox She was born with a congenital heart defect and was told at an early age that she would never get out of her teens. AP News. The remaining eight students completed the school year at Central. New York: Washington Square Books,

This did not work, however, and a couple of the Little Rock Nine were still able to obtain their high school diplomas from this once all-white school. These original nine students eventually led the way to the desegregation of all public schools in the area.^{[citation needed]}

Due to Little Rock's schools being closed the year following the Little Rock Nine students' integration,^[6] in order to earn the necessary credits for graduation she took correspondence courses and attended summer school in St.

Louis, Missouri.^[1][7] She received her diploma from Central High School by mail.^[7]

After Little Rock Nine

Mothershed attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where she studied home economics and was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha.^[8] After graduating in from SIU, she earned her master's degree in Guidance and Counseling and an Administrative Certificate in Education from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in and , respectively.^[9] Mothershed taught home economics in the East St.

Louis School System for 28 years before retiring in ^[1][2]

After receiving her degrees, Mothershed worked at the St. Clair County Jail, Juvenile Detention Center in St. Clair County, Illinois, and as an Instructor of Survival Skills for Women at an American Red Cross shelter.^[7][9]

Personal life and death

Thelma Mothershed married Fred Wair on December 26, , and became Thelma Mothershed-Wair.

Fred Wair was born on October 6, , and died at age 65 on May 25, , in Cahokia, Illinois.^[10] Thelma and Fred had one son, Scott, and two grandchildren.^[10] Mothershed-Wair moved back to the Little Rock area in ,^[11] residing in her hometown until her death from complications of multiple sclerosis, on October 19, , at the age of ^[6][7]

Awards and recognition

In , she received the Spingarn Medal from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for outstanding achievement.^[1][2]

During the –90 school year she was honored as an Outstanding Role Model by the East St.

Louis Chapter of the Top Ladies of Distinction and the Early Childhood–Pre-Kindergarten staff of District ^[2] She also received the National Humanitarian Award, the highest award given at the National Convention of Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc. held in Chicago.^[9]

In , Mothershed received the Congressional Gold Medal.^[12]

She received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in "Ms.

Wair exemplifies and lives SIUE’s values of wisdom, citizenship, integrity, excellence and inclusion," SIUE Interim Chancellor Stephen Hansen said. "While SIUE provided her with an education, she in turn taught all of us about courage, justice and dignity."^[9]

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