Not too long ago, black students and white students were not allowed to attend the same school in America. In 1957, a group of nine young black students, also known as the Little Rock Nine, attended the first desegregated high school in Little Rock, Ark. How bad could it be on their first day at school, you ask? Well, it took nearly 1,000 Army troops and 10,000 National Guard members to ensure their safety in and near the school.

It has been 50 years since desegregation in public schools. As Korean Americans, we should take a moment to reflect on this monumental occasion.

Can you imagine what those nine brave students at Little Rock Central High School who walked the school corridors and sat in classrooms had to confront each day? They had to endure death threats, racial slurs, physical abuse and derogatory reference. Anything and everything was attempted to break the spirits of the Little Rock Nine, but fortunately, they persevered.

Even 50 years after this pivotal event, many Korean American students still face discrimination because of their ethnicity. Unfortunately, many Korean American students keep their burden of ridicule and pain or find that their parents don’t want to make a big deal out of it for fear of reprisal.

The Little Rock Nine and their parents were brave and willing to endure hardships for the sake of the greater good. We as Korean Americans, who have faced discrimination, must learn to not just sweep things under the rug, or keep silent in the face of adversity. We must learn to stand up to racism and prejudice. We must demand equality and justice for our children. Only by speaking up against racism and prejudice can we ensure that the individuals are measured on the content of their character and not their ethnic heritage.

Standing up for what is right often requires courage. Despite the fact that the parents and the Little Rock Nine children received death threats for sending the students to a formerly whites-only school, they had to be brave and supportive of their children. It was not an easy decision, but they chose to risk physical harm and constant disparaging remarks for the future of their children and all other colored children.

Korean American parents are passionate about their children’s education, but we need to recognize that education is more than reading, writing and arithmetic. Educating children to stand up for what is right and fair is also just as important if not more so.

We at KAC hope to encourage parents to be more proactive in standing up for their children when they feel racial discrimination is at hand. By engaging in KAC’s regular Koreatown Voices, we can bring about a better and stronger KA community. We hope you will join us in discussing topics such as combating racism or strengthening the public safety of the community at our upcoming KAC town hall meetings, scheduled to begin Nov. 10. For more information, contact Gene Chang, KAC’s community outreach director, at gene@kacla.org or (213) 365-5999, ext. 103.