Little Rock, Arkansas 1957
Summary
The Governor of Arkansas, Oville Faubus, sent the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the nine African American students who had been given places at Central High School from actually attenting. They guarded the school, keeping those nine student out, for three weeks. Angry crowds of people who opposed the desegregation of schools gathered outside the school. These images were broadcast by waiting media to the United States and the world. President Eisenhower told the Governor that as the Supreme Court had said segregation in schools was not constitutional, the students must be allowed to attend. He sent 1000 US Army paratroopers to protect them and maintain order while they attended school. The troops remained there for a year. Several public high schools in Little Rock closed rather thana ccept black students. |
Photos
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Where is Little Rock?
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Links
http://www.history.com/topics/central-high-school-integration http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-little-rock-nine-desegregating-central-high-sc.html http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/little_rock_high_school.htm The two women in this photograph; African American student Elizabeth Eckford and white student Hazel Bryant, 50 years later. http://ken_ashford.typepad.com/blog/2007/09/little-rock----.html |
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Quotes
Quote from President Eisenhower "Mob rule cannot be allowed to override the decisions of our courts." The protestors did not represent the views of all white Southerners, nor were all students at Central High opposed to desegregation. A quote from an editorial in the school's newspaper The Tiger
"No matter what our personal opinions may be, we cannot be proud of the violence |