“The 1957 crisis in Little Rock, brought about by the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School, was a huge part of the march toward freedom and opportunity in America,” Congressman Vic Snyder said. “A 2007 commemorative silver dollar issued by the U.S. Mint will honor the 50th anniversary of these very significant historical events.”

Congress may authorize two commemorative coins for each year. One of the two 2007 coin bill positions has already been filled for the 400th anniversary of Jamestown. Congressman Snyder’s bill will fill the other.

In 1957, Little Rock Central High School was the site of the first major national test for the implementation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision and became the international symbol of the end of racially segregated public schools. The desegregation of Central High by nine African American students was influential to the Civil Rights Movement, and recognized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as such a significant event that in May 1958 he attended the graduation of the first African American from Little Rock Central High. Moreover, it changed American history by providing an example on which to build greater equality, and ultimately a better America.

Proceeds from a $10 surcharge on each commemorative coin would benefit educational programs and capital improvements at the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site. If all of the authorized 500,000 coins are sold, the proceeds would total $5 million, but the anticipated number of coins that will be sold is indeterminable.

Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln have introduced a companion to Congressman Snyder’s bill in the Senate. It has passed the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, but has not yet made it to the Senate floor.

To learn more about the commemorative coin program, visit www.usmint.gov.

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