KARK reported that Mothershed Wair and the rest of the Little Rock Nine members were awarded the nation’s highest civilian award and a Congressional Gold Medal by former president and Arkansas governor Bill Clinton in 1999.

As Blavity reported, Paul McCartney penned The Beatles’ “Blackbird” as a tribute to the Little Rock Nine and other Black women who were part of the Civil Rights Movement.

“While we mourn the transition of Thelma Mothershed Wair, we also pay tribute to her lasting legacy, seen in generations of Americans empowered by her courage and perseverance,” Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said of Mothershed Wair’s passing, per KARK. “She and fellow members of the Little Rock Nine set us on a better path that altered the course of history in our City and nation forever. As a successful educator, author and advocate, she lived a life we lift up today upon her passing. Our prayers and support are with her loved ones at this difficult time.”

Thelma Mothershed Wair

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