Imagine being a high schooler, subjected to frequent name-calling, bullying, and physical abuse. Imagine futher that the bullies get away with it.
For Terrence Roberts, being one of the Little Rock Nine is a fact that continues to shape his life. Roberts was a 15-year-old junior when he and eight other African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957, a test of the historic Brown v. Board of Education ruling that called for the desegregation of public schools. The ensuing storm of racial epithets and violence by some in the Arkansas community was broadcast around the world, with army troops and the National Guard called by President Dwight Eisenhower to escort the students to school. While their right to attend the school was finally upheld, the students continued to be on the receiving end of assaults and taunting. The young Roberts completed his junior year, but moved with his family to Los Angeles and graduated from Los Angeles High School in 1959. The 67-year-old grandfather of two, now living in Pasadena, has written a memoir, Lessons From Little Rock, coming out later this year.
Dr. Roberts, who earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Southern Illinois University, has long consulted in the area of fair and equitable management practices. While he "ended his organized employment," as he puts it, in June 2008, he continues on the speakers' circuit and is currently working on a book for teenagers about navigating the racial terrain of America. He and his wife, Rita, see their two young grandsons, Paul (P.J.), 5, and Austin Goodloe, 3, at least three or four times a year. As young as they are, the boys know about Grandpa's brave and history-making journey from so many years ago.
Grandparents.com caught up with Dr. Roberts while he was spending time with his daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons at their home in Marietta, Ga.
Grandparents.com: You hold a tremendous place in our country's history. In what ways do you share that life-altering moment-in-time with your grandsons?
Terrence Roberts: P.J. especially knows that I'm one of the Little Rock Nine — although I'm not sure he understands fully what that means. We've taken them to Little Rock for some of the celebrations, such as the fiftieth anniversary in 2007, and for the unveiling of the statues.
GP: How do you convey to the world what you went through at a time when the United States has just elected its first African American president? Do kids really get it?
TR: It's an important issue for all people, kids and adults, to do what I call "filling in the blanks." When we're born, we step into a drama that is already underway. A lot of things happened before we came along. In order to understand the current drama, we need to go back and fill in those blanks. My grandsons are young and can only absorb so much; there is a kid's book about the Little Rock Nine — Cracking the Wall: The Struggles of the Little Rock Nine (Carolrhoda Books, 1997) — that I read to them. P.J. especially can understand what was going on, some of the whys. We read together and he can ask questions.
GP: Do you ever feel that being a member of the Little Rock Nine is a heavy responsibility?
TR: Certainly, it's just one piece of my life. But it's not a burden at all. When we look at the history of this entire country, in order for us to achieve a level of true Americanism, we have to continue to build upon a foundation and do whatever we have to do to move forward. I see myself as being a participant in the process. What we did was a small part of a much larger drama that was playing out.
GP: When you think about the issue of race in America, what do you most wish for your grandsons?
TR: I think what I'd like most for them is that they feel a certain level of comfort and ease in knowing that whatever potential they bring to the universe, they can realize that potential without unnecessary barriers. I'm hopeful this can happen.
They are growing up at a time when we have an African American president. That is unprecedented. This will give them a new kind of mindset that I know will have a profound impact on young people across the board. That's exciting.
GP: How do you spend your time with the boys?
TR: We vacation together, sometimes with the whole family, and sometimes just with the boys and us. Wherever we are, we do a lot of play-activity together. That's the main thing because of their age. Both outdoor and indoor playing. They love to hear stories, so I read to them and make up stories at bedtime, when we're walking down the street, at the beach, or outside in the playhouse behind their house.
GP: What kind of stories do you make up?
TR: Their favorite involves Freddie the Freeloading Frog, a rascal who has adventures. He's actually a character who has been in existence since my kids were little. Freddie has been everywhere and he'll go anywhere, and we love that about him.
GP: What are the boys interested in?
TR: These two have an extremely wide range of interests. When I was here last summer, P.J. and I did a lot of scientific experiments. Now, he has a new bicycle so we're doing a lot of riding. Austin is into Power Rangers, although at any time, he'll throw those aside, and pick up his guitar, or pick up Kung Fu Panda. We also like to make up puppet shows — they have a puppet theater in their basement.
GP: You and your wife raised two daughters. How is grandparenting different from parenting?
TR: Because we don't have full-time care responsibility, we don't spend as much time with them. But when we are around, we find it pretty much the same. The same enduring values that we wanted for our children, we also want for them. For instance, we want them to be respectful of others and polite to adults. A lot of children refer to adults by their first names. Our kids never did, and our grandchildren are the same. In some ways, I think we are less lenient with the grandkids, as a consequence of not being around them full time. We, along with their parents, require that they obey certain basic rules. And we use time-out as a way to help them focus on what could be a better choice. I really enjoy being a grandfather. I think what I love the most is when they light up when they see me. There is nothing to compare that to, it's so special.
Read more about African American history in our story on the African American Grandparenting Experience.
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