Collection: On This Day in Black History & Culture
4 September
Civil Rights: The Little Rock School Integration Crisis
The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine African American students who enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957, sparking the Little Rock Crisis. Initially, the students were blocked from entering the racially segregated school by Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus. They were eventually able to attend after President Dwight D. Eisenhower intervened. This event followed the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education on May 17, 1954, which declared all laws establishing segregated schools unconstitutional. The ruling, tied to the Fourteenth Amendment, called for the desegregation of schools across the nation.
Following the decision, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) sought to register Black students in previously all-white schools throughout the South. In Little Rock, Arkansas, the school board agreed to comply with the Supreme Court's ruling, and Virgil Blossom, the Superintendent of Schools, submitted a plan for gradual integration in May 1955, which was approved by the school board. By 1957, the NAACP had registered nine Black students to attend Little Rock Central High, chosen for their excellent grades and attendance. These students—known as the "Little Rock Nine"—were Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Jefferson Thomas, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Minnijean Brown, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Thelma Mothershed, and Melba Pattillo Beals. Ernest Green became the first African American to graduate from Central High. On September 4, 1957, the integration process began.
However, the Arkansas National Guard, under orders from Governor Faubus, was deployed to prevent the Black students from entering, citing imminent danger and potential unrest. President Eisenhower responded by issuing Executive Order 10730, federalizing the Arkansas National Guard and ordering them to support the integration. The students were eventually able to attend the school under the protection of the federal troops. The plan to desegregate schools in Little Rock, known as the Blossom Plan, was initially intended to be swift and comprehensive, covering all grades over several years. However, the plan was revised to begin more slowly, with integration starting at Little Rock Central High in September 1957. The NAACP had mixed reactions to the plan, with some members opposing it for being vague and slow-moving. Changes were later made to the plan, including a transfer system that allowed white students to avoid attending schools with Black students, further limiting the impact of desegregation.
The NAACP ultimately filed a lawsuit against the school board in February 1956, contributing to the Little Rock School Crisis of 1957. Governor Faubus's opposition to desegregation was likely motivated by both political and racial factors. Although he had initially indicated a willingness to comply with the Supreme Court's ruling, political pressures from his party and upcoming elections led him to take a more defiant stance. Faubus called out the National Guard to prevent the Black students from entering Central High, a move that many historians believe was intended to appease segregationist voters. The sight of soldiers blocking the students from entering the school made national headlines, polarizing the country.
On September 24, President Eisenhower sent federal troops to enforce the integration and protect the students. Despite the presence of federal troops, the Little Rock Nine endured a year of intense physical and verbal abuse from many white students. The following year, Governor Faubus sought to delay the integration of Little Rock's public high schools, leading to the Cooper v. Aaron case. The Federal Courts ultimately ruled against the delay, but Faubus responded by closing all public high schools in Little Rock in September 1958, a period that became known as the "Lost Year." During this time, neither Black nor white students were able to attend school. The closure of the schools led to widespread social unrest and further hostility towards the Black community. Despite the challenges, Little Rock Central High School eventually reopened, and the Little Rock Nine returned to complete their education under difficult circumstances.
Today, Little Rock Central High School is a functioning school and a National Historic Site, with a Civil Rights Museum that commemorates the events of 1957. The Daisy Bates House, home to the president of the Arkansas NAACP and a key figure in the crisis, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2001. The legacy of the Little Rock Nine has been recognized in various ways, including in literature, television, and public ceremonies. Melba Pattillo Beals wrote a memoir titled Warriors Don't Cry, published in 1994.
Two made-for-television movies Crisis at Central High (1981) and The Ernest Green Story (1993)—depict the events of the crisis. In 1996, the Little Rock Nine appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where they reunited with some of the white students who had tormented them and one who had befriended them. In 1997, a dedication ceremony was held in honor of the 40th anniversary of the desegregation, and in 1998, legislation designated Little Rock Central High School as a National Historic Site. The Little Rock Nine Foundation, established in 1999, created a scholarship program that has funded numerous university students. President Bill Clinton awarded the Little Rock Nine with the Congressional Gold Medal in November 1999, recognizing their outstanding service to the country.