Wilma Iggers, Little Rock 2005
“The restaurants were, of course, racially segregated, the hotels were segregated, the schools, and even the churches. As a white person, you could also attend Black institutions, but not the other way around. Very close to Philander Smith College was the so-called 9th Street – that’s where Black business life took place. There was also a movie theater. The Black clerk sold us tickets, but the owner, who then took the tickets back from us at the door, said, “That’s absolutely not possible. You can’t go in there.” I was also once thrown off a bus because I was riding with the wife of a Black colleague. We sat next to each other. We weren’t even allowed to get off the bus in the front or the back; I could get off in the front and she in the back. I have a nice story that shows at what age children notice differences. A colleague, who was a psychologist, asked Jeremy – our oldest son – “Are you white?” Jerry laughed and said, “Are you green?” So, at that age, he didn’t notice any differences.”