DAISY BATES: IN HER OWN WORDS

Little Rock Civil Rights History Tour

33 Historic Stops. One Extraordinary Story. Told Through Her Eyes.

Experience the history of Little Rock's 1957 Central High School integration through the eyes, experiences, and words of the woman who helped make it happen.

DAISY BATES: In Her Own Words is an immersive, interactive civil rights history tour that brings one of the most defining chapters in American history to life through the unique perspective of Daisy Bates—renowned journalist, newspaper publisher, civil rights heroine, and mentor to the Little Rock Nine.

The story of the 1957 integration of Little Rock Central High School did not unfold at the school alone. It unfolded in homes, churches, neighborhoods, newspaper offices, government buildings, and gathering places throughout Little Rock—places where decisions were made, strategies developed, resistance confronted, and extraordinary courage demonstrated.

This tour takes visitors to the places where history actually happened.

Featuring 33 historic stops throughout Little Rock, this part-driving, part-walking experience traces the pivotal events surrounding the 1954–1959 school integration struggle, connecting the people, places, and defining moments that forever changed American public education and the Civil Rights Movement.

From the nationally significant Daisy Bates House, where the Little Rock Nine gathered and prepared to face an uncertain future, to the historic halls of Central High School, the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Visitor Center, the steps of the Arkansas State Capitol, and numerous significant locations in between, the tour takes visitors beyond the familiar headlines to discover the larger story of what happened in Little Rock.

What makes this experience different is whose story is guiding the journey.

Rather than simply recounting historical events, DAISY BATES: In Her Own Words brings visitors into the story through Daisy Bates' documented recollections, experiences, and perspectives. Her words form the foundation of a compelling narrative that reveals not only what happened, but the courage, determination, personal sacrifices, and leadership required to make history.

Created and guided by Deborah Robinson, award-winning journalist, author, documentary filmmaker, and Little Rock Central High School alumna, the experience draws upon her extensive research, original documentary work, and authorship of Daisy Bates: In Her Own Words. Combining historical accuracy with compelling storytelling, creative narration, archival photographs, original video, multimedia presentations, and interactive technology, Robinson brings a journalist's perspective and a storyteller's voice to the events that shaped her hometown.

Visitors can explore historic locations, discover the significance of each stop, and experience the stories through an engaging digital platform designed for both on-location exploration and virtual discovery. Whether walking the grounds of Central High School, visiting a landmark, or standing where a historic building once stood, participants are connected to the people and events that made each location important.

More than a sightseeing experience, this tour is an opportunity to understand the struggle for educational equality, the resistance to desegregation, the extraordinary courage of nine young students, and the woman whose leadership helped guide them through a defining moment in American history.

Launching on November 11, 2026—Daisy Bates' birthday, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the integration of Little Rock Central High School in September 2027, the tour is an educational and historical preservation initiative of The Daisy Lee Gatson Bates Foundation.

"WHAT I'M AFRAID OF IS THAT WHAT WE DID WILL BE FORGOTTEN: THAT THE CHILDREN WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT HAPPENED."

Those words inspired the Foundation's mission: SO THEY'LL KNOW.

So they'll know what happened. So they'll know who made it happen. So they'll understand why it mattered. And so the extraordinary courage and sacrifices that helped change America will never be forgotten.

DAISY BATES: IN HER OWN WORDS