Little Rock Central High School By: Rahma Ibrahim & Taysir Mohamed

Who Where They? In 1957, a group of African American students were enrolled in Little Rock Central High School as an outcome of the Brown V. Board of Education. The Brown V. Board of Education declared segregated schools unconstitutional and it called for the desegregation of the schools throughout the nations.

“Little Rock Nine” The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) tried to register African American students into Southern school and the Little Rock School Board agreed. The NAACP registered nine black students into the previously all white school. The Little Rock Nine became their nickname.

Erenest Green First black student to graduate from Little Rock Central High School. Graduated from Michigan State University and served as Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Affairs under President Jimmy Carter. He is currently a managing partner and Vice President of Lehman Brothers in Washington D.C.

Elizabeth Eckford Still living in Little Rock, Arkansas. She made a career of the U.S Army which included work as a Journalist. She currently works as a social worker and is a mother of two sons.

Jefferson Thomas He graduated from Little Rock Central High School in 1960. He had to return for his senior year because Little Rock Central High School was closed for a year by the legislature to prevent desegregation. He is currently an accountant with the U.S. Department of Defense and lives in Anaheim, California.

Terrence Roberts His family moved to Los Angeles, California a year after the historic event at Little Rock. He graduated High School and earned a doctorate degree in teaching. He is currently teaching at the University of California and is a clinical psychologist.

Carlotta Lanier She was one of the three nine who eventually graduated from High School. She along with Jefferson Thomas returned for their senior year in 1959. She eventually graduated from Michigan State University and is currently living in Englewood, Colorado where she is in real estate.

Minnijean Trickey She was expelled from Little Rock Central High School because of several incidents against her enemies. She moved with her husband to Canada during the Vietnam War and is currently a writer and social worker in Ontario.

Gloria Karlmark She graduated from Illinois Technical College and received a post-graduate degree in Stockholm, Sweden. She was also a prolific computer science writer and successfully published magazines in 39 countries. She is now retired and has homes in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Stockholm.

Thelma Mothershed-Wair Because Little Rock High closed for one year, Thelma had to attend summer school and corresponding course in order to graduate. She earned an undergraduate and master’s degree from the Southern Illinois University. She eventually graduated from college and made a career in teaching. She is currently living in Belleville, Illinois and is a volunteer in a program for abused women.

Melba Beals She completed her senior year at Montgomery High School after Little Rock High closed down for one year. She then attended San Francisco State University and graduated with a bachelors degree. She is currently an author and former journalist for People Magazine and NBC. She lives in San Francisco, California.

Controversy Throughout The Country The controversy was that the government “had no idea it was as terrible as that”. Segregation became so bad that the only branch of government willing to deal with it was the Supreme Court specifically Chief Justice Earl Warren. Little Rock Nine took Brown vs. Board of Education from theory into action when it finally forced the government to take action against segregation in public schools.

Arkansas’s Reaction Arkansas was one of two Southern states to announce it would begin immediately to take steps to comply with the Brown decision. Lower courts judged the 1957 desegregation date to be in line with the Supreme Court's ruling and denied admittance to the students. Governor Orval Faubuf was against desegregation. A small white minority and a large black majority (NAACP) wanted desegertation in Arkansas, however the majority of the white including the governor were against desegregation forcing the Federal Government to take action.

The Federal Governments Reaction President Eisenhower remained reluctant to promote desegregation. He didn’t use his vast popularity and prestige of his office to educate white Americans about the need for racial justice. His personal attitude held him back; he grew up in an all white town, spent his career in a segregated army. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, as the chief law enforcement officer of the United States, knew it was vital to uphold the Constitution and the laws, but he also wanted to avoid a confrontation in Arkansas. With Executive Order 10730, the President placed the Arkansas National Guard under Federal control. He also sent 1,000 U.S. Army paratroopers from the 101st Airborne Division to assist them in restoring order in Little Rock.

Impact on Society It was the first time the federal government took actual steps toward insegregation. The National Government indirectly backed up black groups and organizations such as the NAACP and the SCLC. It forced the white population to recognize the need for racial justice.

References Pictures http://www.jnpa.com/DSN/wwwjnpacom/Content/Images/Little-Rock-main.jpg http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/history/images/E.GREEN.jpg http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kuetumsTo31qzf0iio1_500.jpg http://www.heritagecc.info/westervillemlk/Photos/2009MLK/Thomas.JPG http://kellylowenstein.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/terrence-roberts.jpg http://www.cogreatwomen.org/images/lanier.jpg http://sojournproject.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/hs-minnijean-brown-tricke.jpg http://photos.state.gov/libraries/usinfo-photo/39/week_4_0807/082407-gray-200.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ca81gFhIxKQ/S1FSTtoKw1I/AAAAAAAAABk/asb7z4gaX0A/s400/082407-thelma-200.jpg