The
Little Rock Nine were a group of African-American students who were enrolled in
Little
RockLittle Rock is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Pulaski County. The Metropolitan Statistical Area, had a population of 675,069 people, according to 2008 census estimates...
Central High School in 1957. The ensuing
Little Rock Crisis, in which the students were initially prevented from entering the
racially segregatedRacial segregation is the separation of different racial groups in daily life, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a washroom, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home. Segregation may be mandated by law or exist through social...
school by
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquin name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River. Its diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the...
GovernorThe Governor of the State of Arkansas is the chief executive of the state and commander-in-chief of its military forces.The current governor is Mike Beebe, who took office on January 9 2007.-Qualifications:...
Orval FaubusOrval Eugene Faubus was a six-term Democratic Governor of Arkansas, serving from 1955 to 1967. He is best known for his 1957 stand against the desegregation of Little Rock public schools during the Little Rock Crisis, in which he defied a unanimous decision of the United States Supreme Court by...
, and then attended after the intervention of
PresidentThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
EisenhowerDwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was a five-star general in the United States Army and the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. During the Second World War, he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, with responsibility for planning and supervising the...
, is considered to be one of the most important events in the
African-American Civil Rights MovementThe African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring Suffrage in Southern states. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1954 and 1968, particularly in the South...
.
Supreme Court decision
The U.S. Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal judiciary. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed with the "advice and consent" of the Senate...
issued its historic
Brown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court, which overturned earlier rulings going back to Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, by declaring that state laws that established separate public schools for black and white students denied...
, 347 U.S. 483, on May 17, 1954. The decision declared all laws establishing
segregated schoolsRacial segregation is the separation of different racial groups in daily life, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a washroom, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home. Segregation may be mandated by law or exist through social...
to be
unconstitutionalConstitutionality is the condition of acting in accordance with an applicable constitution; the status of a law, a procedure, or an act's accordance with the laws or guidelines set forth in the applicable constitution. When one of these directly violates the constitution it is unconstitutional...
, and it called for the
desegregationDesegregation is the process of ending racial segregation, most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in Brown v...
of all schools throughout the nation.
After the decision the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored PeopleThe National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP and pronounced N-double-A-C-P, is one of the oldest and most influential civil rights organizations in the...
(NAACP) attempted to register black students in previously all-white schools in cities throughout the
SouthThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, Down South, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. In Little Rock, the capital city of Arkansas, the
Little Rock School BoardThe Little Rock School District is a school district in Little Rock, Arkansas. Currently, the district includes 64 schools with more school being built. As of the 2005-2006 school year, the district has enrollment of 26,524...
agreed to comply with the high court's ruling. Virgil Blossom, the Superintendent of Schools, submitted a plan of gradual integration to the school board on May 24, 1955, which the board unanimously approved. The plan would be implemented during the 1958 school year, which would begin in September 1957. By 1957, the NAACP had registered nine black students to attend the previously all-white Little Rock Central High, selected on the criteria of excellent grades and attendance. The nicknamed "Little Rock Nine" consisted of
Ernest GreenErnest Gideon Green was one of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who, in 1957, were the first black students ever to attend classes at Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Green was the first black to graduate from the school...
(b. 1941),
Elizabeth EckfordElizabeth Eckford is one of the African American students known as the Little Rock Nine.-Desegregation:...
(b. 1941),
Jefferson ThomasJefferson A. Thomas was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and attended the all-Black public schools, as did his seven older brothers and sisters. Because of the US Supreme Court’s ban on public school segregation Jefferson A. Thomas was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and attended the all-Black public...
(b. 1942),
Terrence RobertsTerrence Roberts, son of William L. and Margaret G. Roberts, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1941. He attended Dunbar Junior High School and Horace Mann High School before enrolling at Little Rock Central High School as a junior in September 1957 as one of the "Little Rock Nine", a group of...
(b. 1941),
Carlotta Walls LaNierCarlotta Walls LaNier was, at age 14, the youngest of nine black students to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. She was the first black female to graduate from Central.-Early life and education:...
(b. 1942),
Minnijean BrownMinnijean Brown-Trickey was one of a group of African-American teenagers known as the "Little Rock Nine." On September 25, 1957, under the gaze of 1,200 armed soldiers and a worldwide audience, Minnijean Brown-Trickey faced down an angry mob and helped to desegregate Central High...
(b. 1941),
Gloria Ray KarlmarkGloria Cecelia Ray Karlmark was one of the Little Rock Nine. She was 15 when she attempted to enter Little Rock Central High School. In 1965, she graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1965 with a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Mathematics...
(b. 1942),
Thelma MothershedThelma Mothershed-Wair is a member of the Little Rock Nine.Wair was born in in Bloomberg, Texas and is the daughter of Arlevia and Hosanna Claire Mothershed of Little Rock...
(b. 1940), and
Melba BealsMelba Pattillo Beals is a journalist and member of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who were the first to integrate Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas.-Integrating Central High:...
(b. 1941).
Ernest Green was the first African American to graduate from Central High School.
National Guard blockade
Several segregationist councils threatened to hold protests at Central High and physically block the black students from entering the school. Governor
Orval FaubusOrval Eugene Faubus was a six-term Democratic Governor of Arkansas, serving from 1955 to 1967. He is best known for his 1957 stand against the desegregation of Little Rock public schools during the Little Rock Crisis, in which he defied a unanimous decision of the United States Supreme Court by...
deployed the
Arkansas National GuardThe National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States...
to support the segregationists on September 4, 1957. The sight of a line of soldiers blocking nine black students from attending high school made national headlines and polarized the city. Regarding the accompanying crowd, one of the nine black students,
Elizabeth EckfordElizabeth Eckford is one of the African American students known as the Little Rock Nine.-Desegregation:...
, recalled "they moved closer and closer". "Somebody started yelling, 'Lynch her! Lynch her!' I tried to see a friendly face somewhere in the crowd — someone who maybe could help. I looked into the face of an old woman and it seemed a kind face, but when I looked at her again, she spat on me." On September 9, "The Council of Church Women" issued a statement condemning the governor's deployment of soldiers to the high school and called for a citywide prayer service on September 12. Even President
Dwight EisenhowerDwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was a five-star general in the United States Army and the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. During the Second World War, he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, with responsibility for planning and supervising the...
attempted to de-escalate the situation and summoned Governor Faubus to meet him. The President warned the governor not to interfere with the Supreme Court's ruling.
Armed escort
The next day, Woodrow Mann, the Mayor of Little Rock, asked President Eisenhower to send federal troops to enforce integration and protect the nine students.
On September 24, the President ordered the
101st Airborne DivisionThe 101st Airborne Division — the "Screaming Eagles"— is a U.S. Army modular infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for action during the Normandy Landings and in the Battle of the Bulge...
of the
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
to Little Rock and federalized the entire 10,000 member Arkansas National Guard, taking it out of the hands of Governor Faubus. The 101st took positions immediately, and the nine students successfully entered the school on the next day, Wednesday, September 25, 1957.
A tense year
By the end of September 1957, the nine were admitted to Little Rock Central High under the protection of the U.S. Army (and later the Arkansas National Guard), but they were still subjected to a year of physical and verbal abuse (spitting on them, calling them names) by many of the white students.
Melba PattilloMelba Pattillo Beals is a journalist and member of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who were the first to integrate Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas.-Integrating Central High:...
had acid thrown into her eyes. Another one of the students,
Minnijean BrownMinnijean Brown-Trickey was one of a group of African-American teenagers known as the "Little Rock Nine." On September 25, 1957, under the gaze of 1,200 armed soldiers and a worldwide audience, Minnijean Brown-Trickey faced down an angry mob and helped to desegregate Central High...
, was verbally confronted and abused. She said "I was one of the kids 'approved' by the school officials. We were told we would have to take a lot and were warned not to fight back if anything happened. One girl ran up to me and said, 'I'm so glad you’re here. Won’t you go to lunch with me today?' I never saw her again."
Minnijean Brown was also taunted by members of a group of white, male students in December 1957 in the school cafeteria during lunch. She dropped her lunch – a bowl of chili – onto the boys and was suspended for six days. Two months later, after more confrontation, Brown was suspended for the rest of the school year. She transferred to New Lincoln High School in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
. As depicted in the 1981 made-for-TV docudrama
Crisis at Central High, white students were only punished when their offense was "both egregious and witnessed by an adult".
Governor Faubus
Governor Faubus' opposition to desegregation may have been politically and racially motivated. Faubus had indicated that he would consider bringing Arkansas into compliance with the high court's decision in 1956. However, desegregation was opposed by his own southern conservative Democratic Party, which dominated all Southern politics at the time. Faubus risked losing political support in the upcoming 1958 Democratic gubernatorial primary if he showed support for integration.
Most histories of the crisis conclude that Faubus, facing pressure as he campaigned for a third term, decided to appease racist elements in the state by calling out the National Guard to prevent the black students from entering Central High.
Harry AshmoreHarry Scott Ashmore was an American journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for his editorials in 1957 on the school integration conflict in Little Rock, Arkansas....
, the editor of the
Arkansas Gazette, won a 1958 Pulitzer Prize for his editorials on the crisis. Ashmore portrayed the fight over Central High as a crisis manufactured by Faubus; in his interpretation, Faubus used the Arkansas National Guard to keep black children out of Central High School because he was frustrated by the success his political opponents were having in using segregationist rhetoric to stir white voters.
Congressman
Brooks HaysLawrence Brooks Hays was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from the State of Arkansas....
, who tried to mediate between the federal government and Faubus, was later defeated by a last minute write-in candidate,
Dale AlfordThomas Dale Alford, Sr. was an ophthalmologist and politician from the U.S. state of Arkansas who served as a conservative Democrat in the United States House of Representatives from Little Rock from 1959 to 1963....
, a member of the Little Rock School Board who had the backing of Faubus's allies. A few years later, despite the incident with the "Little Rock Nine", Faubus ran as a moderate segregationist against Dale Alford, who was challenging Faubus for the Democratic nomination for governor in 1962.
Legacy
During their ordeal, the Little Rock Nine were advised by Little Rock journalist and activist
Daisy BatesDaisy Lee Gatson Bates was an American civil rights leader, journalist, publisher, and author who played a leading role in the Little Rock integration crisis of 1957....
. Bates and the Little Rock Nine received the
Spingarn MedalThe Spingarn Medal is awarded annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for outstanding achievement by an African American....
in 1958. The Little Rock Nine were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on November 9, 1999.
Little Rock Central High School still functions as part of the Little Rock School District, and is now a National Historic Site that houses a
Civil RightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights and freedoms that protect individuals from unwarranted government action and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression....
Museum, administered in partnership with the
National Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, to commemorate the events of 1957.
Two made-for-television movies have dramatized the events of the crisis: the 1981
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
movie
Crisis at Central HighCrisis at Central High was a 1981 made-for-television movie about the Little Rock Integration Crisis of 1957, based on a draft of the memoir by the same name by former assistant principal Elizabeth Huckaby....
, and the 1993
Disney ChannelDisney Channel is a cable television channel specializing in television programming for children through original series and movies as well as third party programming. It is marketed to mostly children; however, in recent years the diversity of viewers has increased with an older audience,...
movie
The Ernest Green StoryThe Ernest Green Story is a made-for-television movie which follows the true story of Ernest Green and eight other African American high school students as they embark on their historic journey to integrate Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957.Much of the movie was...
.
In 1996, seven of the Little Rock Nine appeared on the
Oprah Winfrey Show. They came face to face with a few of the white students who had tormented them as well as one student who had befriended them.
In 2007, the
United States MintThe United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The main Mint facility is located in Washington, D.C., and branch facilities are located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Denver, Colorado; San Francisco, California; and West...
made available a commemorative silver dollar to "recognize and pay tribute to the strength, the determination and the courage displayed by African-American high school students in the fall of 1957." The obverse depicts students accompanied by a soldier, with nine stars symbolizing the Little Rock Nine. The reverse depicts an image of Little Rock Central High School, circa 1957. Proceeds from the coin sales are to be used to improve the National Historic Site.
On 9 December 2008 the Little Rock Nine were invited to attend the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, the first African-American elected President.
External links