Ernest Green

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Ernest G. Green (born September 22, 1941) was one of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who, in 1957, were the first black students ever to attend classes at Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.A.. Green, the eldest of the nine, was the first black to graduate from the school. In 1999, he and the other members of the Little Rock Nine were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bill Clinton.

Green was born in Little Rock to Ernest G. Green, Sr. and Lothaire S. Green. Following his brush with national fame, Green attended Michigan State University as the beneficiary of a scholarship provided by an anonymous donor. While at Michigan State, he continued to engage in activism and protests supporting the Civil Rights movement. He later learned that the anonymous donor was John A. Hannah, the president of Michigan State, and ironically, an occasional target of protests by Civil Rights activists including Green. Green graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1962 and a Master of Arts in 1964.

In 1965, he received an apprenticeship in building trades from the Adolph Institute, a program designed to help minority women in the South with career development issues. From 1968 to 1976, he served as Director of the A. Philip Randolph Education Fund. From 1977 to 1981, he served as an Assistant Secretary of Labor during Jimmy Carter's administration. Since 1981, he has been employed as a private consultant. From 1981 to 1985 he was a partner with Green and Herman, from 1985 to 1986 he owned E. Green and Associates from, since 1985 has been with Lehman Brothers.

In December 2001, he was charged with federal income tax evasion, stemming from his acceptance of $30,000 from Chinagate scandal figure Charlie Trie as a part of a proposed business venture. He was sentenced in April 2002 to three months' home detention, and two years' probation, and was fined $10,000.

Green is married to Phyllis Green and they have three children: Adam, Jessica, and McKenzie.

Green was the subject of the 1993 TV movie The Ernest Green Story. [1]

Ernie earned his Eagle Scout Award prior to attending Central High. Over 25 years leater he received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award which BSA has awarded to less than 1500 men who earned Eagle as A Scout. In 2004 he organized the ScoutReach program in Washington, DC and served as the program's volunteer Chair. This program is in its 4th year serving 600 boys in distressed neighborhoods in Washington, DC.

Green is currently a Managing Director in the fixed income department of Lehman Brothers in Washington, DC, where he focuses on public finance.