Have we learned much from Little Rock?

The United States Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that separate was not equal and segregated schools were not constitutional. Two years later, in 1957, nine African American students attempted to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. This proved to be no easy task.

Photo: Hilary Grabowska

The nine students enrolled at Central High School to test Brown v. Board. Before the first day of school, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus made a speech calling white people from across the state to come to Little Rock to protest the integration of an all white school. He also brought in the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the students from attending Central. On the first day, September 4th, the Little Rock Nine were unable to enter the school and returned home.

Photo: anglonautes.edu (Governor Orval Faubus address protestors at Central High)

Subsequent attempts by the students to integrate the school failed as well; the students were turned back or removed by police. President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the Army's 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock and finally, on September 25th, the Little Rock Nine were able to attend classes. Their fellow students harassed them inside the school and made their experience very difficult; nonetheless, at the end of that year, the eldest of the Little Rock Nine became the first African American to graduate from Central High.

Photo: armored-column.com

In the fall of 1958, Governor Faubus closed all of the public high schools in Little Rock and asked the residents to vote on integration. The residents voted in favor of segregation, forcing the rest of the Little Rock Nine to attend schools out of state for that year. In 1959, the schools reopened and four of the remaining students returned to Central High, in spite of the fact that there was continued violence outside of their school.

Photo: pbs.org

The entire spectacle surrounding the Little Rock Nine just trying to go to school was seen by all of America and the world on television. News reporters stood between the angry white mobs and the students and reported extensively on the events. Once the students managed to enter the school, the protestors turned on the reporters.

Photo: authentichistory.com (Newspaper reporter Alex Wilson was attacked by the mob)

In light of the current political atmosphere in 2016, it does not appear that we have learned much from Little Rock. Hate and fear do not improve the nation, but nor do they win in the long run. 

Photo: npr.org

Photo: tulsaworld.com