ernest gideon green (born september 22, 1941) is one of the little rock nine, a group of african-american students who, in 1957, were the first black students ever to go to classes at little rock central high school in little rock, arkansas. green was the first african-american to finish the school in 1958. in 1999, he and the other members of the little rock nine were given the congressional gold medal by president bill clinton.