Little Rock Nine
Raina White
Little Rock Nine Facts
- Daisy Gaston Bates - president of the Arkansas NAACP and co-publisher of the Arkansas State Press, an influential African-American newspaper - recruited the nine high school students because "they all possessed the strength and determination to face the resistance they would encounter."
- Minnijean Brown, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernst Green, Thelma Mothershed, Melba Patillo, Gloria Ray, Terrance Robert, Jefferson Thonas, and Carlotta Walls would become known as the Little Rock Nine.
- September 4 , 1957, was the first day that the Little Rock Nine started attending Central High.
- They all were going to carpool together but certain set backs prevented Elizabeth Eckford from knowing so. She arrived shortly after the other eight but was meet by a hostile crowd of white students and adults alike and one women even spat on her.
- President Eisenhower attempted to persuade Faubus - governor of Arkansas - to remove the National Guard so the group - Little Rock Nine - could inter the school, finally it worked and Faubus removed the National Guard on September 20.
Summary
The Little Rock Nine is what the group of nine African-American students is known as. These nine high schoolers were recruited by the president of Arkansas' NAACP Daisy Bates because they had what it took to remain calm in violent situations - which they surly would encounter. When the governor of Arkansas found out about this he called the National Guard to keep the group out of the school with the excuse that having enrolled African-American students would just create a problem amongst the school. On September 4, 1957, the Little Rock Nine showed up for their first day at Central High, everyone carpooled together besides Elizabeth Eckford - who couldn't get the message, and was surrounded by a hostile crowd of white students and adults. But Elizabeth just kept walking and when talked to after the event she said one women even spat on her. The school eventually closed its doors to all students after a meeting since the group of nine still came back day after day. President Eisenhower convinced Faubus to remove the National Guard on the 20 of September. The school remained closed for almost two years causing the Little Rock Nine to seek an education elsewhere in the state. These nine people had to put up with the white community spitting on them, calling them names, and teasing them just so they'll leave - and they did so just for the desegregation of schools.