Little Rock Nine Research Paper

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.

Board of Education signified the first time that the Supreme Court was on the African American side. This court case was a direct challenge to Plessy v. Ferguson, which stated that separate but equal facilities were equal. The book Warriors Don’t Cry is set directly during this period. In 1957, Governor Orval Faubus blocked the integration of nine students from Little Rocks Central High. President Eisenhower eventually became involved for a few reasons; one was because Governor Faubus was making an obvious resistance to federal authority.

This was a landmark case in 1954. The Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional. This ruling allowed the Little Rock Nine event to occur and granted African American students equal educational opportunities. Outcome of Little Rock Nine and how it affected African American identity and culture: [Insert picture of women with sunglasses holding

Plessy v. Ferguson is significant for its declaration for its “separate but equal” statement in 1896, supporting the Jim Crow laws that were established at the time. Though less than a decade later, the Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka, a future court case in which the U.S Supreme Court reversed the previous decision and allowed for racial integration in schools throughout the United States. The Brown v. The Board of Ed. declared that blacks and whites were to be integrated into the same schools because the Plessy v. Ferguson case denied the Fourteenth Amendment. Following the decision, Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas admitted nine black students, though most opposed this. A white mob protested against a group of black students, known as the Little Rock Nine, from entering the high school.

Many segregationists had told the school board that they were going to protest at Little Rock Central High School, and not allow the black students to enter the high school. Governor Orval Faubus supported the protestors and ordered the Arkansas National Guard to block off the children. On September 4, 1957, the soldiers stood in front of Little Rock Central High School, and blockaded the entire entrance. This made national headlines, and ultimately shocked the entire nation to its feet. With a furious crowd surrounding the nine students, Elizabeth Eckford said: They moved closer and closer. ...

This is after the President got aware of what happen and ordered the army to go protect the nine black students. The photo shows the officers pushing back protestors to calm the environment so the blacks can go to classes without being harassed and tormented by the whites. This was a pivotal moment in the Little Rock nine. This is the moment that some of the previous pictures helped. This shows how even though the Governor did not agree with blacks going to school with whites, the President of the United States did and sent in reinforcements to help the

Segregation was when one racial group set themselves apart from another racial group. Segregation took many different forms: restrooms, schools, waiting rooms, theaters, taverns, buses, and other public places. There are many stories and articles of the injustices caused by segregation; perhaps the most angering, however, is what was underwent by the Little Rock Nine when they attended school at Little Rock Senior High School. Along with not being let into the school until nineteen days into the school year and having to get the president with the U.S Army’s 101st Airborne Division involved, the Little Rock Nine all experienced “routine harassment” as they later described it. Most of the students attending the school at the time were extremely opposed to the idea of integrating with the black students and wanted to continue the schooling with segregation.

Minnijean Brown, who was expelled, graduated from New Lincoln High School in New York. Elizabeth Eckford, Terrence Roberts, Gloria Ray, Thelma Mothershed, and Melba Pattillo didn’t graduated because Governor Faubus had the schools closed down from the nine students attending. The other five attended different schools and

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 Little Rock desegregation was becoming known nation-wide for the feud between letting blacks enter the school and the governor resisting (“LRS”). From being internationally and nationally known for not allowing students to enter school was creating a bad reputation for Governor Faubus that he needed to fix for himself and his school. This resulted in Governor Faubus allowing the Little Rock Nine into the school to rid his reputation and gain more positive views from the African American race for the school. The many doubters of the Little Rock Nine were proven wrong when the whole group (Little Rock Nine) entered the Little Rock Central High School right in front of their faces. This proves that despite the protesters trying to hold them back they pushed through for integration of Central High and integration around the

Hostility between whites and African Americans in Arkansas was persistent even with the efforts to ensure equal rights for every citizen throughout the state in early 20th century. One source of this hostility was segregation. This existed especially in the school system. However, state laws stated that separate public schools were unconstitutional as a result of Brown v. Board of Education. Little Rock Central High was the first Arkansas school to integrate.

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.

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.