It all began in May 1954, when the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Brown v. Board of Education. As a result, the school board in Little Rock, Arkansas, was forced to desegregate.
Through careful tactics, the board was able to delay integration until 1957, when nine African American students -- chosen for their grades and attendance -- enrolled at Little Rock's Central High School.
The old ways died hard, though, and Governor Orval Faubus ordered the National Guard to keep those students out.
Finally, on September 24, 1957, after nearly three weeks of delays, President Dwight Eisenhower had had enough, and sent the Army in to make sure the students were allowed to go to school, and to quell the riots that had been threatened if they did.
It took two more years (one of which saw the entire school term canceled) before Arkansans were dragged into the 20th century, and Ernest Green became the first black student to graduate.
Today, Central will open a museum
to honor the Little Rock Nine, who braved everything for their education.
Suggested Sites...
- Little Rock Central High School - ground zero for the struggle for civil rights.
- 50 Years of Desegregation - reflecting on the past, examining the present, and promoting future reconciliation.
- Wikipedia: The Little Rock Nine - who were they and what happened to them?
- Sports Illustrated: Blindsided by History - the part football played in the fight for integration.
- Little Rock Nine Foundation - promoting the ideals of justice and equality of opportunity for all.
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