Little Rock Central High School (Little Rock, Ark.)

Now: A grove of evergreen trees that stood outside the school in 1957 has been renamed the “silent witnesses.” The trees carry plaques recalling the event. A pond in front of Little Rock Central has been adorned with 10 benches. “Nine benches have the names of each student and a tenth bench is for the students’ past, present and future,” says Tiffany Hoffman, communications director for the Little Rock School District.

Inside the school, a display case offers an account of the “Little Rock Nine” and their desegregation fight. Little Rock Central today offers students an international studies magnet program and a curriculum that includes more than 20 advanced placement courses. The high school “consistently has more National Merit Semifinalists than any other school in the state,” the school district Web site adds.

Photo: President Bill Clinton, in 1997, speaks at the 40th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School.