The Little Rock Nine: Civil Rights Icons

On September 3, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Jefferson Thomas, Minnijean Brown (Trickey), Carlotta Walls (LaNier), Terrence Roberts, Gloria Ray (Karlmark), Thelma Mothershed-Wair, and Melba Patillo Beals set off for school. The governor of Arkansas, Orvel Faubus, had sent National Guardsmen to the school the previous day to surround the building and keep all African-Americans from entering its doors. He stated in an interview that the reason for the troops was he heard a rumor that white supremacists were going to riot and he was just protecting the students. He declared Central High off-limits to all people of color "in order for their own protection". The students never did make it into school that day. Before they even reached the property they were met with great resistance from racist citizens who spat upon them, mocked them, threw sharp objects at them, and even physically beat them. Melba describes the deep hurt she felt as for the first time in her life she saw

The multiple forces in favor of integration were determined to gain access to Central High School and integrate public schools in the south. Before any integration was possible in the United States, the NAACP, or the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was forced to file a lawsuit in the Federal District Court to integrate public schools immediately due to the public and state backlash towards integration (Beals 20). Judge Ronald Davies declared that Governor Faubus had “thwarted the court-approved plan of integration” furthering the movement to integrate Central High (Beals 68). After the lawsuit was settled, the Little Rock Nine was scheduled to integrate into Central High School. However, even after these

(Lucas 31). Most white students didn’t pay attention to them, but others bullied them. (Lucas 32). Minnijean Brown one day lost her temper, and got expelled. On Sept. 1958 the supreme court ruled that all Little Rock public schools would be shut down that year. The Little Rock Nine received International Acclaim for their courage.Ernest Green was the first black student to graduate from Central high. Even though they broke a racial wall; the little rock nine didn’t bring immediate gains for civil rights. (Benson 2).

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

Over thousands of blacks were discriminated in the 1950s because of their skin color. Blacks and whites were prohibited to go to the same school just because of their skin color. However, in the year of 1957 the Little Rock Nine were the first nine black students that integrated to Central High. If this group of people didn’t have the courage to attend Central High our schools would be extremely different today.

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

The Little Rock Nine had a huge impact on the world, but at the time, they just thought that they were nine students going through unfair treatment, harassment, threats, protesting, and assaults. Through it all, they were determined to make this work whether they were to be accepted or not. They “stirred up a chapter of history that would become an important part of the Civil Rights Movement” (Natasha).

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. On September 23, 1957, a mob of about 1000 people surrounded

However, this became a major problem because not everyone agreed with the abolishment of segregation from the constitution. Events in the town of Little Rock reveal another example of southern resistance to integrated education. The NAACP sent nine students to the Little Rock School but was stopped by the Governor of Arkansas, Orval E. Faubas who had no intention of agreeing with the Brown Verdict because he was against the idea of desegregation. He attempted to prevent the process of allowing those students into the school but was successfully beaten by President Eisenhower.

Faubus was able to achieve his goal in keeping the students out of the school, due to eighty-five percent of the Arkansas citizens being against integration. However, Faubus' actions were cut short by President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordering Arkansas National Guard out and sending in Federal Troops. The troops ensured the safety of the students in and around the school. In May of 1958, Ernest Green became the first African-American student to graduate from an integrated school. Later in the year, Faubus had all high schools shut down, preventing any further integration. Green was the only student from the Little Rock Nine to graduate through Central High School. The others graduated through other schools. By being the first integrated school in America, Central High School opened the door for many other schools to

In 1954, The supreme court had ruled in Brown vs. Board Education that the school segregation violated the constitution, and ordered all the schools to be desegregated. Orval Eugene Faubus, he is a politician who has served as a Governor for the state of Arkansas. In 1954 he ran for governor, promising to people to bring prosperity to the Arkansas countryside and was elected later on. He is most widely remembered for his stand against desegregation of the Little Rock’s Central High in 1957. In 1957, the supreme court had ordered all Arkansas schools to be desegregated immediately. When the nine black students congregated for the first time. He was hiding in his mansion, dealing with threatening phone calls and he was trying to decide what to do with little Rock Crisis. It was his choice. Orval

For my final project I want to focus on the civil rights movement, Little Rock Nine to be exact. This event took place during 1957. I plan on writing in the form of diary entries based on the event that took place. I will be writing from Minnijean Brown-Trickey’s perspective who was one of the nine teenargers. Little Rock Nine was a group of African-American teenagers who were selected to attend a non-black school, which turned out to be a terrifying experience for the nine teens. I plan on writing about how life was like for Brown-Trickey and telling the readers her story and how the event still affects her today.

America has had quite a history. Moreover, America has had a distinct history concerning racial differences. From the Civil War to the Civil Rights Act, America has showed past that is unforgettable. However, America has showed a history concerning African Americans that still show up in our present today. The Little Rock Nine, staged in 1957, proves that we are not that far away from our previous actions against a different race. In the American heritage and main structure of government, it says that all men are created equal. This paper will tell of the Little Rock Nine and their struggle, and how it has changed America for the better.

Throughout late childhood, education touches upon the subject of segregation, a separation between whites and blacks during mid-20th century America, and children across the country learn the harsh reality of our nation’s history. Modern culture produces media to recreate these events in movies such as The Help, and Driving Miss Daisy. Although much of the media related segregation with the 1950’s and 1960’s, these decades were only a climax of the protests and civil movements during the time period. Not only segregation, racial inequality has also existed for hundreds of years- it is only during these specific years that the conflict and involvement of citizens across the country peaked through the use of protests as well as the influential people that led them. While influential leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. led the Civil Right Movement, segregation in the United States continued to affect the daily life of African American people publicly, educationally, and judicially until the eventual process of integration.

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