Cassandra Sirois
Miss Skrzyniarz
US History Period 8
June 15, 2018
Little Rock Nine Little Rock Nine was a life-changing event for African Americans all over the United States. They changed the schooling system in the United States, fought to end racial segregation, and encouraged other African American students to speak up for their own rights. Little Rock Nine was an event that occurred in September 1957 where nine African American students enrolled at the all-white Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas. The Little Rock Nine changed civil rights by their own volition and today by staying brave in violent and interrogating scenarios which helped set a model for equal educational opportunities.
Before the actual event of Little Rock Nine took place, the United States Supreme Court expressed the Brown vs Board of Education in Topeka Kansas. The court made the decision that any laws towards segregated schools are unconstitutional which is what began the widespread desegregation of schools. After this decision was made the
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The Arkansas National Guards were able to provide some of this well-needed protection by escorting the nine students to and from the high school, on top of that The Arkansas National Guards also protected the students while inside the school. Although they had their protection they still suffered through an entire year of extreme verbal and physical abuse. For example, being called horrible and insensitive names by white students, and being spat on. One of the nine students, Melba Pattillo had acid thrown into her eyes by another white student and almost went blind. Melba was also a victim of a certain incident where several of the white female students locked her in one of the bathroom stalls and tried to burn her alive by throwing pieces of flaming paper at
The Little Rock Nine will be forever known as history as great leaders. The Little Rock Nine are the first African Americans to go to an all white high school known as Central High. With the help of Mrs.Bates their mentor to protect them it will not be easy. Carlotta Walls LaNier has written her autobiography called A Mighty Long Way. During the integration of Little Rock Central High in 1957,the media illuminated certain event but painted an inaccurate or incomplete picture of other events.
When the nine black students tried to attend an all-white school on September 4, 1957, although they had the right, they were denied. Not only were they denied the right from the students but from adults and people of political influence in Arkansas. The Little Rock Nine were part of a major part of the Civil Rights movement and consisted of three boys and six girls. Central High School was the first high school in the south to set to be desegregated since the United States Supreme Court had ruled in Brown vs Board of Education, that separate education was unconstitutional. Inspired, Elizabeth wanted to become a lawyer, and she thought Central would help her realize that dream.
The student created such a big mob for what they believed in had so much more power then the guards did for the nine. Then, they had to get the Supreme Court, the highest level of court, to interfere and make a law shows a lot about younger people having power. Getting a case up that high has to be very important and even though they lost, it still showed a lot of power to go through that much work to stop integration. Young people have done the most, even though most was negative power, the amount of power they had to stop integration was absurd. They went to so many levels of the law and even though people like the 55 student harassment mobs, to stepping on the back of the Nine’s heels till they bleed.
The message was clear: African Americans were not wanted (“Integration of Central High School”). Roberts writes, “‘It took an incredible amount of bravery from those nine students to face what was real terrorism and mob violence,” says Alvin Tillery, a professor of political science and African-American studies at Northwestern University in Illinois. “Elizabeth Eckford being threatened, harassed, and spat on, and her calm resistance became an iconic symbol of the civil rights movement.’” Lots of rioting broke out when the governor announced that central high school would be integrated. More than 1,000 white people against the Little Rock nine gathered to protest.
Integration was when the Supreme Court realized that segregation was not just and declared that public “white” schools were to integrate students from the “black” schools into their school. Even though all of the Little Rock Nine went through terrible verbal bullying, Melba Pattillo and Gloria Ray were taken to the physical level of bullying. Melba Pattillo was extremely mistreated and she later recalled that she had been beaten, kicked, and even had acid thrown in her face. Gloria Ray
The Little Rock nine was a group of African American students in Little Rock, Arkansas. They had been selected to be the first black students to integrate Central High School, which was formerly all-white. On September 4, 1957, Orval faubus, the governor of Arkansas, denied entry of these students to Central High (Alchin). The Little Rock Nine was a small group of citizens, and students, that created change. By being the first to integrate in Little Rock, they became a prime example of courage and strength to the whole country.
The nine weren’t able to participate in some of the school activities that went on for other students. One of the Little Rock Nine, Minnijean Brown, had food spilled on her. The students who did it never got in trouble. When Brown decided she had enough and decided to spill food back on them, she got suspended. She had also been hit with a purse from one of the other students (Smithsonian.com).
Little Rock Nine has made a big impact in the world, and without them things wouldn’t be the same today. Little Rock Nine was a group of nine black students who were chosen to go to Central High School to get an education. They went to try to end segregation in schools. The nine students in the group were, Minnijean Brown, Terrance Roberts, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Thelma Mothershed, Melba Pattillo, Gloria Ray, Jefferson Thomas and Carlotta Walls. Most of them started a sophomore or junior year.
“Public schools for black children received less funding, less maintenance, and less teacher training,”(Source 1). Under those circumstances black children did not get as good of an education as white children. There were other issues regarding education to, for example in 1957 when integration started in Central High school segregationist harshly acted on the issue. ” When the black students, known as the “Little Rock Nine,” attempted to enter the Central High
In 1957, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas’s decision, segregation in public education violated the Fourteen Amendment, but Central High School refused to desegregate their school. Even though various school districts agreed to the court ruling, Little Rock disregarded the board and did not agree to desegregate their schools, but the board came up with a plan called the “Blossom plan” to form integration of Little Rock High despite disputation from Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus. Desegregating Central high encountered a new era of achievement of black folks into the possibility of integrating public schools, and harsh resistance of racial integration. Although nine black students were admitted into Little Rock harsh violence and
Faubus instead left the protection of the Little Rock Nine to the ill-prepared Little Rock police department. The children briefly made it inside the school on September 23rd, however the furious mob’s frustrations reached a climax outside the school, they chanted for the white children to walk out, an African American journalist was viciously attacked, and a white police further enticed the crowd’s rebellion by throwing down his billy club and badge in defiance to integration. The children had to be removed from the school for their own
Little Rock Nine “They found themselves in the middle of a tug a war between federal and state power”(Kirk). The students hunger for equality sparked a change that would affect America greatly. Little Rock Nine inspired many African Americans to stand up for themselves and stand against racism. They also helped desegregate schools which later lead to the desegregation of other public areas. Little Rock Nine was an inspiration to the 1960’s as seen through their background, impact, and contributions.
Even though the media displayed false information about the 1957 integration of Little Rock Central High School it changed peoples views on segregation. In A Mighty Long Way Little Rock, Arkansas nine African American students wanted to go to a well educated high school but they do not understand why so many people are angered that they are just getting a better education. During the integration of Little Rock Central High School in 1957, the media illuminated certain events and painted an inaccurate or incomplete picture of other events. The media illuminates many important events that show how racist white people are treating black people and showing people in the North who are against segregation and support integration.
First off, the governor closed all the schools in Little Rock, so no one could attend. Not only were all the students greatly affected, but the families of the Little Rock Nine had the more major punishments. Many of them were quickly fired from their jobs to reduce more conflicts with business. Once the schools were finally opened back up, each of the nine students were separated throughout the different schools, which caused even more awareness that schools needed to become desegregated. The impact that the Little Rock Nine had on today is the fact schools are all officially desegregated.
Billings shares Elizabeth kept her head up, eyes focused in front of her, she did not want the crowd to know that she was scared. Thus, the crowd was so intense and angry the nine students were trying to enter the school, but could not. Thirdly, they finished school and did not give up. Billings describes the Little Rock Nine survived a whole school year in a hostile environment. The kids where bullied, pushed, spat on and called names.