Integration of Central High School
Rose Adams
In September of 1957, 9 black students enrolled in the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas to begin the integration of schools. They faced discrimination with every step, and each day to school was a different story. One day they came to find the Nation Guard sent in by the Governor to prevent their entry, and there was the dependable mob that shouted and spat at the students entering the building.
Beginning integration in the United States and raised awareness
9 students were recruited and tested to make sure they could handle the challenges that lay before them. They were known as the “Little Rock Nine”. They received counseling and classes to prepare for the situations that may be hostile. The children endured harassment throughout the year, as did their parents. One mother was fired from her job for refusing to remove her daughter from the school.
One year after the school was integrated, the governor closed to the school pending a public vote for the integration. The vote was 19,470 to 7,561 against the Little Rock Nine attending the school, and the school was closed.
Citations
"Integration of Central High School." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2015.
"Little Rock Nine: Photos of a Civil Rights Triumph in Arkansas, 1957 | LIFE | TIME.com." LIFE. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2015.
"Little Rock Nine: Photos of a Civil Rights Triumph in Arkansas, 1957 | LIFE | TIME.com." LIFE. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2015.