Little Rock Nine

A long time ago, laws were not fair.

Some schools were only for white kids. A court said this must change. Nine Black students wanted to go to a new school.

A leader in the state tried to stop them. He sent soldiers to block the door. But the President sent his own soldiers to help. They protected the students so they could learn. One student was the first Black boy to graduate.

These brave students helped change the country.

In 1954, the Supreme Court made a big choice. They said laws that kept schools separate were not allowed. This meant schools had to become mixed. In 1957, nine Black students tried to join Central High School.

These students were called the Little Rock Nine. They had very good grades. But the Governor of Arkansas, Orval Faubus, did not want them there. He sent the National Guard to block the school doors.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower saw this. He wanted the law to be followed. He sent the 101st Airborne Division to help. These were soldiers sent by the federal government.

The soldiers protected the students. The nine students could finally go to class. It was a very hard year for them. Many other students were mean to them. But they stayed brave. Ernest Green became the first Black student to graduate from the school. They helped change how schools work in America.

In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court made a historic decision. The case was called Brown v. Board of Education. This ruling said that laws keeping schools separate were not allowed. These laws were unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment. The court called for the desegregation of all schools in the nation. This meant schools had to open to all children.

In Little Rock, Arkansas, a plan was made to follow this law. A man named Virgil Blossom was the Superintendent of Schools. He created a plan to integrate the schools in steps. The school board approved this plan in 1955. It was meant to start at Central High School in September 1957. The NAACP helped find nine Black students to attend. These students were chosen for their excellent grades and attendance.

These nine students became known as the Little Rock Nine. They were Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Jefferson Thomas, and Terrence Roberts. They were also Carlotta Walls LaNier, Minnijean Brown, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Thelma Mothershed, and Melba Pattillo Beals. When school started on September 4, 1957, things were very difficult. Governor Orval Faubus used the Arkansas National Guard to block the students. He said there was a danger of riots.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower decided to step in. He wanted to make sure the Supreme Court's ruling was followed. The mayor of Little Rock asked the President for help. On September 24, Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne Division to the city. He also took control of the Arkansas National Guard. The soldiers protected the nine students so they could go to class.

Going to school was still a very hard job for the students. They faced a year of verbal and physical abuse from others. Some students were even suspended for how they reacted to the mean behavior. Despite these hard times, they stayed in school. Ernest Green became the first African American to graduate from Central High. Their courage helped change how schools work in America today.

The Little Rock Nine were nine African American students who enrolled at Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Their enrollment sparked a major conflict known as the Little Rock Crisis. This event was a direct result of the 1954 Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education. In that ruling, the Court declared that laws establishing segregated schools were unconstitutional. This decision was tied to the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It called for the desegregation of all schools across the United States.

To follow this ruling, the Little Rock school board adopted the Blossom Plan. Virgil Blossom was the Superintendent of Schools who proposed this gradual integration strategy. The plan was approved unanimously by the school board in May 1955. It intended to integrate one high school in September 1957. Later stages would involve junior high and grade schools. However, the plan changed when new transfer rules were added. These rules used gerrymandered school districts to limit integration. This caused the NAACP to file a lawsuit against the board in February 1956.

The nine students were selected based on excellent grades and attendance. They were Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Jefferson Thomas, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Minnijean Brown, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Thelma Mothershed, and Melba Pattillo Beals.

When school began on September 4, 1957, Governor Orval Faubus intervened. He deployed the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the students from entering. Faubus claimed there was an imminent danger of riots and breaches of peace. This blockade made national headlines and divided the country's opinion.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower eventually stepped in to enforce federal law. The Mayor of Little Rock, Woodrow Wilson Mann, requested federal assistance. On September 24, Eisenhower invoked the Insurrection Act of 1807. This allowed him to use federal troops for domestic law enforcement. He ordered the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock to protect the students. He also federalized the 10,000-member Arkansas National Guard. This action took the Guard out of Governor Faubus's control.

Even with military protection, the students faced a very difficult year. They experienced constant verbal and physical abuse from many white students. Melba Pattillo Beals recorded incidents of being burned and attacked. Minnijean Brown faced verbal taunts and was eventually suspended from school. Some students were told by officials not to fight back. White students were often only punished if their actions were witnessed by an adult. This environment made the school year an intense struggle for the nine students.

In the summer of 1958, Governor Faubus tried to delay further desegregation. He argued in the Cooper v. Aaron case that integration would cause violence. He sought a delay that would have pushed integration to January 1961. However, the Federal Courts ruled against this delay in August 1958. This led Faubus to call an extraordinary session of the state legislature. He attempted to pass new segregation bills during this time.

The impact of the Little Rock Nine remains a significant part of American history. Ernest Green made history by becoming the first African American to graduate from Central High. The crisis showed the power of the federal government to enforce Supreme Court rulings. It also highlighted the intense local resistance to civil rights progress. The bravery of these nine individuals helped move the nation toward school integration. Their story is preserved through memorials and historical records today.