In 1999, LaNier and the rest of the Little Rock Nine were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bill Clinton.

Cartelyou was a brick mason and a World War II veteran, while Juanita was a secretary in the Office of Public Housing.

[5] On September 4, 1957, the Little Rock Nine made an unsuccessful attempt to enter Central High School, which had been segregated.

The Arkansas National Guard, under orders from the governor, and an angry mob of about 400 surrounded the school and prevented them from going in.

The following day, President Dwight D. Eisenhower took control of the Arkansas National Guard from the governor and sent soldiers to accompany the students to school for protection.

[7] In 1958, LaNier and the rest of the Little Rock Nine were awarded the Spingarn Medal by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as was Daisy Bates.

Following her graduation from Central High in 1960, LaNier attended Michigan State University for two years.

However, her father was unable to find a job because of the crisis surrounding his daughter, and they moved to Denver, Colorado.

She was also the president of the Little Rock Nine Foundation, an organization dedicated to ensuring equal access to education for African American students.