Segregation was a major part of southern life. On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. However, it was not clear how integration would be achieved. White southerners were outraged at this decision and they fought to keep schools separated between races. This was the case at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Capital Citizens Council and the Mothers' League of Central High School met together and formulated a plan to stop the integration of schools. Despite the opposition, nine black students enrolled to be the first African Americans attending Central High School: Minnijean Brown, Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Thelma Mothershed, Gloria Ray, Melba Patillo, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls, and Jefferson Thomas. Their actions made a significant impact on the nature of public schools and they later became known as the Little Rock Nine.
The students were recruited by Daisy Bates, president of the Arkansas NAACP. She warned them that it would take a significant amount of strength and determination to attend Central High School against the wishes of white southerners. The Little Rock Nine received counseling session to mentally prepare them for the intense opposition and discrimination that would take place.
These black students were filled with hope and determination, but the obstacles were nearly insurmountable. Governor Orval Faubus stated that he would do anything in his power to prevent the integration of black students into white schools. He used the National Guard to block their enrollment. Three weeks later, on September 25, the Little Rock Nine were accompanied by US Army troops as they entered Central High School.
This was a major triumph for southern blacks, but it didn't get much easier from there. These black students were repeatedly harassed and physically tormented. Nonetheless, many of the Little Rock Nine were able to complete high school and go on to distinguished careers.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/24/little-rock-arkansas-school-segregation-racism
http://kingencyclopedia.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_little_rock_school_desegregation_1957/
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/central-high-school-integration
These kids were so brave and went through so much! It's amazing that this wasn't too long ago, and many of these kids are still alive! Also, I did a little research on this, and apparently the governor closed all of the public schools in Little Rock to avoid desegregating public schools.
ReplyDeletehttp://time.com/4948704/little-rock-nine-anniversary/
Great post Emma! I really enjoyed reading about the historical significance of the Little Rock Nine, and it was really eye-opening reading about the challenges that they overcame. After reading this post, I read that Daisy Bates actually recruited and vetted the kids based on how they would be able to handle the pressure and abuse from people, as she did not want them to lash out, or quit in despair. She needed kids who would stay focused and strong without resisting. I remember that this is similar to the strategies employed by MLK in his nonviolent resistance. He trained people to deal with the abuse that they would suffer during "sit-ins" at counters, which in a way was really similar to what Bates did here.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.history.com/topics/black-history/central-high-school-integration