The Little Rock Nine

Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division escort African-American students to Central High School in Little Rock in Sept. 1957The U.S. Army [Public domain]In the late fall I will be going to Arkansas to teach in a rural school for two weeks. The small town of Cave City, Arkansas will be the location of my multi-cultural experience. I wanted to learn about an Arkansas historical hero, so that I may be prepared to share my findings with students in the fall. What I found were nine heroes, who are often referred to as “The Little Rock Nine.”

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled segregation illegal. Regardless of the Supreme Court decision, segregation was alive and well in Little Rock, Arkansas, even three years later. The local chapter of the NAACP fought the school board in court over segregation. The local chapter of the NAACP set out to recruit bright African American kids who could not be turned down by the school board. This is how the “Little Rock Nine” was created.

Rally at state capitol, protesting the integration of Central High SchoolJohn T. Bledsoe [Public domain]On September 4, 1957, an angry mob surrounded Little Rock Central High School. The mob was determined to stop the African American children from entering their all white school. Little did the mob know, but the children were snuck into a back door of the school. When it was discovered that the students were inside the building, the mob erupted with violence. The students had to be evacuated from the building. The next day the students returned but this time President Eisenhower dispatched the 101st Airborne Division paratroopers to the school to protect the students. Each student had their own personal guard to walk with them. The “Little Rock Nine” still endured threats, violent attacks, and racial slurs. After a few weeks the troops left and the students were forced to protect themselves. The spring of 1957, Earnest Green became the first African American student to ever graduate from Central Little Rock High School.

The “Little Rock Nine” and their families agreed to fight for their right to attend Little Rock Central High School. These heroes are meaningful to me because even though they were only children, they were able to impact history and open doors for minorities in the fight for equal rights. These children were heroes because they were willing to go into a place where they were different from those around them. They knew they were unwanted there, but had the courage to go anyways. They put aside their fears knowing they would face angry, violent, threatening mobs of protestors. They were willing to stand up for what they believed in and strived to make a difference in their community.

Little Rock Central High School, 2011Ks0stm [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]These children signified the ethical value of citizenship. The “Little Rock Nine” were aware of the rights the Supreme Court gave them for the non-segregation of schools. They were determined stand-up for their rights. They were determined to make a difference in their community. They respected the support given to them by President Eisenhower and felt a greater sense of responsibility to continue on in their cause. Even 54 years later, this incredible story in our history can be used to show kids that they too can make a difference.