Little Rock nine member looks back

Little Rock nine-member, Elizabeth Eckford, looks back.

FOR -70- YEARS.BUT....NEVER MORE THAN.....WHEN SHE WALKED UP THE STEPS OF"CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL"...FOR THE FIRST TIME....IN 19-57.SCRIPPS REPORTER DAN GROSSMANMET UP WITH THE MEMBER OF THELITTLE ROCK 9 TO TALK ABOUTWHAT'S HAPPENING NOW...COMPARED TO HER EXPERIENCEGROWING UP.FOR DECADES ELIZABETH ECKFORDHAS WALKED THE GROUNDS OFCENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL IN THESHADOWS "HI, WHAT ARE YOUPLANTING?

HI THERE.I'M PLANTING SOME LANTANA"SHE'LL OCCASIONALLY TALK WITHSTRANGERS- BUT SHE'S ALWAYSREMAINED MODEST "THANK YOU FORBRINGING YOUR TALENT HERE I'MA LOCAL PERSON.I LIVE HERE.HAVE YOU BEEN IN SCHOOL HERE,TOO?

WAY, WAY BACK.LOTS OF MEMORIES, HUH?

LOT OFTHINGS CHANGED?

MHM, LOTS OFTHINGS HAVE CHANGED." MODEST OFHER ROLE IN ITS HISTORY NATS"LOTS OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED""IT WAS MORE THAN A PUNISHMENT""IT WAS HORRIFYING TO BEBATTERED EVERY DAY" TO SOMEELIZABETH'S NAME MAY NOT BEFAMILIAR- BUT TO MANY THELASTING IMAGE OF HER ONCENTRAL'S FIRST DAY OFDESEGREGATION IN 1957 IS "I HADFELT SO TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY,TERRIBLY, ALONE." "AT ONE POINTTHEY SAID G'ET A ROPE' AS I WASWALKING.LET'S LYNCH HER NATS"THERE WAS A PACK OF REPORTERSAND PHOTOGRAPHERS IN FRONT OFME WALKING BACKWARDS AND ASKINGME QUESTIONS.I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE IWAS AFRAID IF I OPENED MY MOUTHI WOULD CRY IN PUBLIC."IT WAS A FEAR THAT STUCK WITHELIZABETH FOR 50 YEARS AS SHESILENTLY BATTLED THE DEMONS OFPTSD "TALKING ABOUT THE PASTIS A WALK THROUGH PAIN.IT WAS VERY VERY, VERYDIFFICULT." THE SCHOOL- THATPICTURE?

THEY WOULD ELICITPANIC ATTACKS, ANXIETY,FLASHBACKS.FEARS THAT ONLY BEGAN TODISSOLVE "THEY WERE VERYPATIENT WITH ME" ONCEELIZABETH STARTED SHARING HERSTORY WITH STUDENTS WHO LET HERKNOW SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO GOTHROUGH THIS ALONE "SHE'S THEGIRL WHO STARTED IT ALL I HADTO COME AND SAY THANK YOUAGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN.STELLA, THANK YOU- AGAIN ANDAGAIN AND AGAIN." "WHEN I WOULDCRY THEY WAITED AND GAVE ME ACHANCE TO RESUME." "IT MEANTTHAT TO THEM I WAS A HUMANBEING." NATS THESE DAYSELIZABETH WALKS HERE AS ADIFFERENT WOMAN "DOES WALKINGHER TODAY- THESE DAYS- ELICITANY SORT OF EMOTIONS ORFEELINGS?

NO, NO, NO.AFTER YEARS THERE'S NO FEARLEFT, EVEN INCROWDED HALLWAYS." ONE WHOREMAINS MODEST IN HER TRIUMPH-AND DEDICATED IN HER PURSUIT TOHELP OTHERS "I DO POINT OUTTHAT THEY CAN JUST REACH OUTTREATED.THAT CAN BE VERY POWERFUL.IT WAS VERY POWERFUL FOR MEWHEN IT HAPPENED."THAT WAS DAN GROSSMANREPORTING.

RIGHT NOW...FIREWORKS SALES ARESKYROCKETING....