Little Rock Integration Crisis

Little Rock Integration Crisis. The Little Rock Integration Crisis was a pivotal confrontation in 1957 over the enforcement of racial desegregation in public schools. It centered on the attempt by nine African American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, to enroll at the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. The crisis erupted when Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus deployed the state's Arkansas National Guard to block the students' entry, defying federal law and prompting an unprecedented intervention by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Background and legal context

The crisis was a direct result of the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which declared state laws establishing segregated public schools unconstitutional. The ruling mandated desegregation with "all deliberate speed," a phrase from the subsequent 1955 implementation decree known as Brown II. In response, the Little Rock School Board adopted a phased integration plan known as the Blossom Plan, starting with Central High School. However, this plan faced immediate and organized resistance from local segregationist groups, including the Mother's League of Central High School and chapters of the White Citizens' Council. The political climate was further inflamed by the 1956 Southern Manifesto, a document signed by many southern congressmen, including Arkansas's J. William Fulbright and John L. McClellan, pledging resistance to desegregation.

Events of September 1957

On September 2, 1957, the day before school was to start, Governor Orval Faubus appeared on television and ordered the Arkansas National Guard to surround Central High School, claiming it was to prevent violence. On September 4, the nine students—Minnijean Brown, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Thelma Mothershed, Melba Pattillo, Gloria Ray, Terrence Roberts, Jefferson Thomas, and Carlotta Walls—attempted to enter but were turned away by soldiers. A particularly iconic image showed Elizabeth Eckford isolated and harassed by a hostile mob. For weeks, the students were denied entry while Faubus and federal officials, including Dwight D. Eisenhower and Attorney General Herbert Brownell Jr., engaged in unsuccessful negotiations. The situation escalated on September 23, when the students entered the school through a side door, only for violent riots to erupt outside, forcing their early dismissal for safety.

Federal intervention and aftermath

In response to the mob violence and the state's defiance of a federal court order from District Judge Ronald N. Davies, President Dwight D. Eisenhower took decisive action. On September 24, he federalized the Arkansas National Guard, removing them from Faubus's control, and ordered elements of the 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell to Little Rock. On September 25, under the protection of these federal troops, the Little Rock Nine finally entered Central High School and began their academic year. The soldiers remained for the duration of the school year, and Ernest Green became the first African American graduate of the school in May 1958. In a further act of defiance, Faubus closed all of Little Rock's public high schools for the 1958–59 school year under a state law, a period known as the "Lost Year."

Legacy and historical significance

The crisis was a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement, demonstrating the deep resistance to desegregation in the American South and the necessity of federal power to enforce constitutional rights. It tested the limits of states' rights versus federal authority and established that the president would use military force to uphold court orders on civil rights. The bravery of the Little Rock Nine was recognized nationally, and they later received the Congressional Gold Medal. The event galvanized support for the broader movement and influenced later legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Central High School is now a National Historic Site administered by the National Park Service.

Key figures

* **Little Rock Nine**: The student pioneers: Minnijean Brown, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Thelma Mothershed, Melba Pattillo, Gloria Ray, Terrence Roberts, Jefferson Thomas, and Carlotta Walls. * **Dwight D. Eisenhower**: The President of the United States who deployed the 101st Airborne Division to enforce desegregation. * **Orval Faubus**: The Governor of Arkansas who mobilized the Arkansas National Guard to block integration. * **Daisy Bates**: President of the Arkansas NAACP who mentored the students and coordinated their efforts. * **Ronald N. Davies**: The federal judge who issued the injunction ordering integration to proceed. * **Virgil Blossom**: The Superintendent of Schools in Little Rock who authored the phased integration plan.

Category:1957 in Arkansas Category:African-American history in Arkansas Category:School segregation in the United States Category:Civil rights movement