Elizabeth Eckford of the Little Rock Nine

Home > The Interview > Elizabeth Eckford of the Little Rock Nine

Elizabeth Eckford of the Little Rock Nine
The Interview
Mar 5, 2018

In September 1957 nine African American students, including Elizabeth Eckford, entered the all white Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, thereby breaking for the first time the racial segregation barrier in US schools. They became known as the Little Rock Nine. Two years earlier the US Supreme Court had ruled segregation in schools to be unconstitutional. The first time Elizabeth Eckford tried to enter Little Rock Central High she was turned away and the image of her surrounded by a hostile crowd of local white people is one of the most famous photographs of the American civil rights struggle of the 1950s and 60s. Later in September 1957 Elizabeth and her fellow group of African American students were finally able to enter the school. But their troubles didn't stop there. The Little Rock Nine were regularly abused and shunned by white students and for Elizabeth Eckford her time at the school led to suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. HARDtalk is at her familyhome in Little Rock from where she left to attend Central High more than 60 years ago.

(Photo: Elizabeth Eckford)

Next episode

More Episodes

Jul 9, 2026
Jacob Zuma’s daughters: Polygamy is a subject we lived

“It's a subject that I know I've lived, I've seen up close…That includes watching my father. That includes the relationships that I saw him have.” Presenter Anne Soy speaks to Gugu Zuma-Ncube and Thuli Zuma, executive producers of The Polygamist, one of Netflix’s biggest new dramas which takes on the topic of polygamy - the practice of having more than one spouse at the same time. They are also the daughters of former South African president Jacob Zuma - a proud polygamist who is greatly respected by his supporters for upholding his cultural and traditional Zulu beliefs. The Zulu language drama was an instant hit, attracting two million views in the first week and becoming number four on Netflix's top 10 list for non-English series globally. Thank you to the Newsday team for its help in making this programme. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Kenyan businesswoman Jennifer Riria, astronaut Victor Glover, and Hinge dating app CEO Jackie Jantos. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Anne Soy Producer: Cordelia Hemming Editor: Damon Rose

(Image: Gugu Zuma-Ncube and Thuli Zuma. Credit: BBC)

23min 00sec

Jul 7, 2026
Steve Hilton: Brit running for California governor

“I'm a proud American. I became a citizen in 2021. I feel at home here both in America and actually, in a way I actually have never felt before. I feel like this is where I'm meant to be, and I couldn't be more honoured that people now are putting their faith in me to turn the state around.”

Nick Robinson speaks to Steve Hilton, the British-born Republican candidate for governor of California in November’s US midterm elections.

Once a senior adviser to former UK prime minister David Cameron, Hilton left British politics to build a new life in America.

Now endorsed by President Donald Trump, he explains why he believes the Republican Party best represents what he calls “positive populism”.

Hilton reflects on his upbringing as the son of Hungarian refugees, the opportunities he says transformed his life, and why he feels a stronger sense of belonging in America than he ever did in Britain.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with former US Secretary of State John Kerry and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.

You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Nick Robinson Producer: Osman Iqbal Editor: Damon Rose

(Image: Steve Hilton. Credit: Reuters)

23min 01sec

Jul 5, 2026
Victor Glover, astronaut: We went into sci-fi

“The last thing to come into view was this blue glow, and we could see craters and the surface of the Moon. But the Sun is on the other side, so what was lighting the Moon? It was ‘Earthshine’, the light of the Earth reflecting off the near side of the Moon. I don’t think our brains are evolved to understand what we were seeing. I called Houston and said, ‘I think we’ve just gone into sci-fi.’”

Paddy O’Connell speaks to Artemis II astronaut Victor Glover, who was part of the first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years.

Glover and his crewmates travelled further from Earth than any humans before them, witnessing sights no one had ever seen before.

He explains why humanity may be closer to reaching Mars than many think, and reflects on how travelling into space changed his perspective on life.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Sundar Pichai and Julia Gillard.

Presenter: Paddy O’Connell Producer: Osman Iqbal Editor: Damon Rose

(Image: Victor Glover. Credit: Josh Valcarcel/NASA)

23min 00sec

Jul 2, 2026
Jackie Jantos, Hinge CEO: Gen Z struggle to connect

Sean Farrington speaks to Jackie Jantos, CEO of popular mobile dating app Hinge, about finding romance in today’s rapidly-changing digital world.

Launched back in 2013, US-based Hinge has steadily grown to become one of the world’s biggest mobile dating apps. As of 2025, there were 30 million users on the platform looking for romance all over the world - up from half a million just 10 years before.

Hinge encouragingly bills itself as the ‘app to be deleted’, and unlike many competitor apps, its focus is on creating real interactions - for example, encouraging users to like photos or prompts - rather than quickly swiping left or right.

In a crowded industry worth billions of dollars, the app, owned by the American dating giant Match Group, has a difficult balancing act to maintain. It has to innovate to attract new users and make a profit, while also ensuring their users find romance and so do not have to keep using the app.

Thank you to the Big Boss Interview team for their help in making this programme. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with music icon Chaka Khan, Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark, and entrepreneur Emma Grede. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Sean Farrington Producer: Jeevan Nerwan and Ben Cooper Editor: Damon Rose

Get in touch with us on email [email protected] and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

(Image: Jackie Jantos smiles as she looks to the side. She has brown hair and glasses and wears a black jumper. Credit: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

23min 00sec

Elizabeth Eckford of the Little Rock Nine

--:--