Little Rock Nine Essay

America officially did away with school segregation in 1954, but the actual desegregation proved to be a slow and painful process. In 1961, seven years after Brown, only seven percent of African American students in the South were in mixed schools (“Slow March” 46). African Americans enrolled in majority white schools were often hassled by their classmates and their fellow white Americans. The most famous example was the Little Rock Crisis in 1957, in which President Eisenhower was forced to send National Guard troops to protect the nine African American students enrolled in Little Rock High School from the segregationists and ensure that they could have class on the first school day. School integration proceeded at a sluggish rate in the 1950s and early 1960s but stepped up in the mid 1960s. According to a recent report released by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, only 2.3% of African American students in 1964 were in majority white schools. The number jumped to 13.9% in 1967,

In 1954, the Supreme Court took a step in history with the Brown V. Board of Education of Topeka by stating that, “In the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’, has no place. Separate facilities are inheritably unequal.” Little Rock, Arkansas a city in the upper south became a location of a controversial attempt to put the court order into effect when nine African American students were chosen to desegregate Central High in Little Rock. How did the Little Rock Nine affect America? Sanford Wexler stated in The Civil Rights Movement: An Eyewitness History,” its “effect would ripple across the nation and influence the growing Civil Rights Movement;” in addition, the Little Rock crisis forced the federal government

Did you know that without the Little Rock Nine our schools might still be segregated. The Little Rock Nine were the first black students to attend a white school. Parents and the Governor of Arkansas tried to keep the schools segregated. President Eisenhower found out of this, and sent help to the black students. With the white parents and governor against the; The Little Rock Nine affected the school system with the help of President Eisenhower.

On September 25, 1957 nine courageous children risked their lives to attend Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Due to resistance by the state government and public hostility, federal troops were necessary to let nine African American children attend the school. Although the Supreme Courts Landmark 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education cut down racial segregation in public schools, it was the actions of these nine young kids of school integration that tested the strength of that decision.

On May 17th, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, officially making the separation of blacks and whites in public schools unconstitutional (Beals 12). This ultimately led to a constant struggle in the South to keep schools segregated. The most notable situation occurred in the town of Little Rock, Arkansas during the 1957 school year. Nine black students volunteered to integrate into Central High. This constant struggle to turn the Supreme Court ruling into a societal norm was documented by one of the Little Rock Nine. Melba Pattillo Beals’s novel, Warriors Don’t Cry, depicts the forces in favor of integration, forces opposing integration, and the constant adversity faced by the Little Rock Nine.

On September 25, 1957, Nine african american students entered Central High and made it through a whole day. They are called, “The Little Rock nine.” The names of the students are Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Jefferson Thomas, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Minnijean Brown, Gloria Ray Karlmark, and Melba Pattillo Beals. These nine had a hard time getting through the mobs of people, but they made it the front doors of Central High. They volunteered themselves to try

Throughout our nation’s history, there are many instances where a certain group or individual expressed their courageousness by voicing their opinions to make our world a better place. Their willingness and determination to change society for the better good of the people showcase their tremendous courageous qualities that are not present in everyone. A powerful example of courageous acts that greatly impacted our nation are the Little Rock Nine students from Little Rock, Arkansas. As you probably know in the mid-1900s, almost all public schools were segregated, meaning there was a separate school for white kids and a separate school for black kids. In Ben Cosgrove’s Time Magazine article titled “Brave Hearts: Remembering the Little Rock Nine”, he talks about the nine brave African-American teenagers who risked their lives in order to attend Little Rock Central High School, an all-white public school. Because segregation in the southern schools was so prominent, many citizens of the south were outraged

The Little Rock Nine volunteer to enter the segregated high school they had a choice, the choice of entering the high school. The Little Rock Nine volunteer to enter the segregated high school they knew risks if they agree to enter high school. The Little Rock Nine was chosen because of their excellence grades and perfect attendance, the NAACP thought they would be great for integrating into segregated high school but they had faced tons of issues. One of the many problems was that the Little Rock Nine were stopped by angry riots and officers that were ordered by the governor of Arkansas, president Eisenhower had to send the National Guard to escort the Little Rock Nine into the high school. The Little Rock Nine had faced tremendous amounts of discrimination in the high school, they had to endure being called racial slurs and possibly being physically harm. What the Little Rock Nine did change our society we wouldn’t have different races in our schools or have a teacher that is a different race. There is still discrimination and forms of exclusion in schools that still exist. Discrimination and forms of exclusion in schools still exist in today’s modern society and it is affecting our

In 1957 Arkansas, a group of nine black students enrolled at an all-white Central High School, marking what is known as today as the Little Rock Nine. The U.S. Supreme Court declared desegregation of public schools due to the decision of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. On the first day of school, the Central High Principal called the Arkansas National Guard to block the black students from entering the high school. President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent federal troops to escort the Little Rock Nine into the school later that September.

This became necessary when my proclamation of yesterday was not observed, and the obstruction of justice still continues. It is important that the reasons for my action be understood by all our citizens.”(Little Rock School crisis speech 1957) Eisenhower stated this to the public just fifteen days after the walk out on national TV in hopes that the Governor would then understand that what he was doing was wrong. Daisy Bates and others from the Arkansas NAACP knew they had chosen the perfect group of young, strong, adults to assist in the desegregation of schools. They carefully investigated the group of students and decided that they all had the strength and determination to face the struggles that they knew that they would encounter. What seemed like a long time before the start of the new school year, the Little Rock Nine went through thorough counseling sessions. During these sessions, they learned what to expect once classes began and how to respond to the negative and sometimes dangerous encounters with other students. On September 25, 1957, there was a report that stated how several of the Little Rock Nine had a great start to their school year; some

The desegregation of public facilities began with the decision of Brown vs Board of Education in 1954, where the Supreme Court of the United States deemed segregation unlawful and unconstitutional. The country was told that desegregation was to take place "with all deliberate speed". This angered the white community. Violent retaliation was the means used to prevent the integration of blacks into various public facilities. In fact, the Autherine Lucy case demonstrated to the entire country that violent mobs could halt integration demanded by a federal court order. However, three years later, the Little Rock Crisis would affirm that if provoked by mobs, the executive

The governor of Arkansas used the National Guard to stop nine black children enrolling at Little Rock high school, even against the wishes of the Supreme Court. When faced with court action, the governor withdrew the National Guard but left the black teenagers exposed to a violent mob, determined to keep all blacks from entering the former white – only school. In 1957, President Eisenhower sent armed paratroopers to protect the small number of black students as they attended school for the next year. It was not just in schools that segregation was present.

Melba Beals says that “Governor Orval Faubus announced his refusal to support the integration of our state’s schools” (1994). To keep the nine students out of Central High School, he calls in the Arkansas National Guard, which is commanded by the State of Arkansas. Just imagine you’re going to school and upon arrival you see soldiers with guns trying to keep you out. One would not want to be anywhere near that school.

His main argument was that segregated schools that were mandated by the Board of Education, were unconstitutional because they denied the black children “equal protection of the laws” that are granted by the fourteenth amendment of the United States Constitution. Chief Justice Earl Warren agreed with Marshall and by a unanimous decision on May 17th, 1954 the Supreme Court ruled that the on an almost one hundred and fifty year old decision that “separate but equal” was unconstitutional (Henretta 840). In response to this landmark decision Arkansas governor Orval Faubus did not want to follow the courts decision of the desegregation of schools across America. Faubus called the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine African Americans from joining an all white school. In response to this President Eisenhower who showed little interest in the civil rights movement became the first president since Reconstruction to use federal troops to enforce the rights of blacks when he called in one thousand federal troops and ten thousand nationalized members of the Arkansas National Guard to protect the students (Henretta 842)

Despite this, Little Rock High School unjustly refused to accept Black pupils. In 1957, when nine Black pupils tried to enter the school they were sent away by a large crowd and state troopers. This was reported to Eisen Howersuit, leader of the Federal Government at the time, he backed the pupils by sending in 11,000 of his troops to escort them in and out of school for a year. This was another positive step towards equality and there was a noticeable increase in integration within schools