-
Elementary Schools Kansas
Elementary schools in Kansas have been segreated since 1879 by state law allowing cities with populations 15,000 or more to build schools separating white and black children. -
Supreme Court
11 court cases had made it to the Supreme Court and none of them had successfully been able to change state law. -
Brown Vs Board
Brown Vs Board of Education of Topeka the Supreme Court decided to outlaw segregation in public education. -
Brown Vs Board
The court had finally ruled that "separate but equal" had no place within school systems. These laws were protected by the laws of the Fourteenth Amendment. This was forced but with a lot of resistance from the South, because of white supremacy groups and government officials. -
Little Rock Highschool
In 1957 the school district of Little Rock decided to allow black students to begin their education there in the summer. They could not participate in extracurricular activities like sports or choir. Many of their parents were threatened with their jobs causing a lot of African American students to stay within their schools. -
First Day
The nine had arrived at their assigned highschool but they were turned away from the National Guard of Arkansas, the Governer Orval Faubus informed the guard to "maintain and restore order..." -
President Gets Involved
Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the U.S 101st Airborn to escort the Nine to and around school and gave a speech. His speech consisted of "Mob rule cannot be allowed to overide the decisions of the courts". Sep 25, 1957 the Army had escorted them around and helped them finish their first day of school. -
Minnijean Brown
She was suspended for dropping chile onto a boy who would not let her pass to her seat while in the cafeteria. She was expelled later when she had called a girl "white trash" after she hit Minnijean with her purse. Everyone around the school passed around notes "One down, Eight to go". -
Graduating
Senior Ernest Green was the first African American student to graduate from a Central High School. And the other 7 had completed the school year at the school. Ernest stated "Its been an interesting year. Ive had a course in human relations first hand."
-Ernest Green, Life Magazine, June, 1958 -
Once Everything Had Settled Down
The next year the schools closed due to Little Rock's desired to get rid of integration from the schools. When the schools reopened Carlotta Walls and Jefferson Thomas graduated and Thelma Mothershed received her diploma from the school and completed her studies. The rest finished in different schools. -
Elizabeth Eckford
She was asked about the events of the first day of school. This is what she said "So I thought, well, maybe I am not supposed to enter at this point. So I walked further down the line of guards to where there was another sidewalk, and I attempted to pass through there. But when I stepped up, they crossed rifles." She was stopped and was called names, this was before the president got involved. This source shows how the events were in her eyes, this is important because it shows how she saw it.