Thelma Mothershed Wair, one of the nine Black students who bravely integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957, has passed away at the age of 83. Her sister, Grace Davis, confirmed that Mothershed Wair died at a hospital in Little Rock due to complications from multiple sclerosis.
The integration of Central High School by the group known as the Little Rock Nine was a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement. Despite facing a hostile mob and resistance from Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, the students persevered with the support of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who deployed the Army's 101st Airborne Division to ensure their safe entry into the school.
