Successful Meetings - September 2008 - (Page 127)

PLACES 09.08 &SPACES Little Rock Nine entering Central High in 1957 (inset) and the school today Let Freedom Ring Across the United States are many sites of national achievements that make us proud to be Americans. However, there are also many places to remind us of the times in history when, according to our national benchmark of equality and freedom for all, we fell short. Surprisingly, many sites of former injustice are preserved by the National Park Service (NPS). Groups seeking to promote both closure and remembrance use sites such as the Manzanar War Relocation Center, where Americans of Japanese descent were held during World War II. “Many in our community lost their worldly possessions when they were sent to [Manzanar] camp,” says Bruce Embrey, co-chair of the Manzanar Committee, “not to mention being subjected to the racist humiliation and complete revocation of their constitutional rights.” In the time immediately following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government ordered more than 110,000 Japanese Americans and residents to leave their homes and be interred in 10 remote, military-style camps until the end of World War II. Embrey’s mother was among them. Each year, since 1969, his organization has hosted a pilgrimage to the Manzanar center, a former camp that is now part of the NPS. “Our committee has more than a dozen members who were incarcerated in different camps. The 39th annual pilgrimage, which was held in April 2008, had more than 1,600 people parSUCCESSFUL MEETINGS SEPTEMBER 2008 ticipate. Next year—the 40th—we hope will bring even more. Many of the first ‘pilgrims’ from 1969 will be there, and we hope to honor them,” Embrey said. In Little Rock, AR, September 2007 marked the 50th anniversary of the Little Rock Nine— Inside Minnijean Brown, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Thelma > Charleston and PAGE 130 Savannah Mothershed Wair, Melba Pattillo > Los Angeles PAGE 135 Beals, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Gloria Cecelia Ray, Jefferson PAGE 139 > Phoenix / Scottsdale Thomas, and Terrence Roberts— > Rocky Mountain PAGE 142 the first African American students Resorts to attend then all-white Little Rock PAGE 146 > Caribbean Central High School. The torrent PAGE 154 > Monaco of racially motivated abuses that PAGE 156 > Malaysia followed touched off an international scandal. The anniversary was marked by a week of events that included the debut of a play (What Happened in Little Rock), the dedication of a new visitors center across from Little Rock Central High School (which, though part of the NPS, is still a working high school), a gala dinner at the host Peabody Hotel, and a commemoration on the front lawn of Little Rock Central—both featuring all of the Little Rock Nine and former Pres- PHOTOS: LITTLE ROCK CVB, INSET: UPI / LANDOV successfulmeetings.com 127 http://successfulmeetings.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - September 2008

Successful Meetings - September 2008
Contents
Editor's Note
Industry Trends
Supplier News
Technology
Calendar
Incentives
Association News
Corporate Meetings
Independent Planners
Management Matters
Meetings Law
Mouth for Sale
Planner Spotlight
Pre-Event
On Site
On Site
Tools of the Trade
Where All That Glitters May Bring Gold
Stepping Up in Class
Going for the Green
10 Great Drive-To Destinations
Charter Members
Night at the Museum
Places & Spaces
Charleston and Savannah
Los Angeles
Phoenix/Scottsdale
Rocky Mountain Resorts
Caribbean
Monaco
Malaysia
Gurus

Successful Meetings - September 2008