Courage in Action: A Conversation with Dr. Terrence Roberts
On Friday May 22, Winsor hosted a special assembly and conversations with Dr. Terrence Roberts, a clinical psychologist, management executive, and member of the Little Rock Nine. Dr. Roberts’s steadfast attendance at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, became an important symbol of the Civil Rights Movement.
The assembly was presented in collaboration with Facing History and Ourselves, whose mission is to “equip schools, districts, and teachers with the tools they need to shape the future by nurturing empathy, curiosity, and civic responsibility in young people.” Joined by students from Roxbury Latin School, Winsor gathered in the David E. and Stacey L. Goel Theater to hear Dr. Roberts’s thoughtful response to questions posed by student moderators.
First, Upper School students introduced Dr. Roberts and spoke about their history research coursework related to the Civil Rights Movement. In their Class VI United States history course, each student selects a meaningful moment from the past 100 years of American history and spends the year immersed in that topic, culminating in a 6–8 page research paper.
“The names we tend to remember are often the ones in positions of power, like Governor Orval Faubus or President Dwight D. Eisenhower. But the people who actually walked through the doors of Central High School are sometimes remembered more as a group than as individuals, and that’s something I want us to think about today,” explained Caroline Specht ’28, who researched years of struggle by Black students, parents, and communities to desegregate schools in the South before Little Rock ever made national headlines.
Following the introduction, Upper and Lower School students joined Dr. Roberts on stage to inquire about his experiences in Little Rock, in academia, and all throughout his life. To the question of what gave him strength to keep going each day, even when he knew he would face hostility and isolation, Dr. Roberts explained that he had to adopt a resilient mindset.
“Whatever happens, I will learn how to confront it. I will learn how to get through it, or over it, or around it, or under it, or whatever it takes” he said. “People who don’t have an opportunity to develop in that sense tend to shrink, dissolve, disappear—I didn’t want to disappear. I wanted to be here, this morning, at the Winsor School.”
As the Little Rock Nine organized to integrate Central High School, Dr. Roberts recalled taking a “vow of nonviolence.” He explained that they were “encouraged to do so by lieutenants who worked for Dr. King.” Given his dislike of fighting, Dr. Roberts reflected that he found a “niche” in nonviolence as a life philosophy, which he maintains to this day.
Dr. Roberts also spoke at length about the importance of community and solidarity. “The Civil Rights Movement…has been going on for 400 years. It’s never stopped, it’s not over, and it won’t be over until people get it right. The big question is ‘do we have the will, as a group of people in this country, to do that?’” he said. “If we were willing, and all of us were able to band together and make a statement about it, we could change things overnight.”
One student asked whether there was, and is, a sense of solidarity between the Little Rock Nine. He replied, “We were a solid group from the day that we were first together… We had to [be], really, for safety reasons.” Dr. Roberts confirmed that the seven living members of the Nine do, indeed, stay in touch, saying “we’re like a small family.”
Following the Q&A portion of the assembly, Winsor’s Upper School choral group Illumina performed an inspiring tribute to Dr. Roberts. Led by Performing Arts Faculty Andrew Marshall, Illumina sang “Hope Lingers Here” with a spoken word section. Reflecting on the landscape of America today, Illumina member Nia Lawrence ’26 declared, “In this difficult hour, we refuse to give way to despair. Today, we pay tribute to Terrence Roberts, whose courage as a member of the Little Rock Nine reminds us that even in moments of deep division, hope and moral courage can help transform a nation.”
Following the assembly, Roxbury Latin students, two US History classes, and a health class asked questions of Dr. Roberts during dedicated group discussions. He discussed a myriad of topics, from Wordle and the power of language to his experience as Department Chair in the School of Psychology at Antioch University. Dr. Roberts concluded his visit with lunch in the Trustee Room, joined byLower School students. These smaller sessions provided yet another forum for students to connect and learn from Dr. Roberts’ inspiring life and work.
“Terrence Roberts’s visit is one of those rare assemblies that students and faculty will talk about for years to come” said Julian Braxton, Director of Community and Inclusion. “His wisdom and keen insights about both the past and the present were incredibly powerful. At the same time, his wit and humor came through in such authentic ways. He is the kind of person whose stories, reflections, and perspective hold your attention from beginning to end. I am so grateful that he came to Winsor.”
