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First Public School in Little Rock, AR opens
The first public school in Little Rock opens, but is only available for white students. -
14th Amendment
The 14th amendment granted citizenship and legal rights to African Americans and enslaved people who had been emancipated after the American Civil War. -
Little Rock Central High School is Built
The school was built to meet future enrollment needs and was designed to inspire awe for learning. It cost 1.5 million dollars to build. The original thought by the city was that this Neo-Gothic Revival style design building would bring families from all over the nation to enroll their children in this school. -
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School opens
A high school for African American students in built just a mile from Little Rock Central. The school costs $400,000 - the Rosenwald Foundation donates $67,500 and $30,000 comes from the Rockefeller General Education Fund. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
The Supreme Court ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional. It signaled the end of legalized racial segregation in the schools of the United States, overruling the "separate but equal" principle set forth in the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case. -
LRSD shows intent to comply with Brown vs. BoE
Five days later, the Little Rock School Board and Superintendent Virgil Blossom issues a policy statement saying it will comply with the Supreme Court’s decision, but only after the courts have outlined an implementation decree. -
African American Students are declined Enrollment in LRSD
Twenty-seven African American students in Little Rock attempt to enroll for the second semester at Central High, Little Rock Technical High, Forest Heights Junior High, and Forest Park Elementary School. They are refused enrollment by the LRSD Board of Education. The students were told to attend Horace Mann High School, which was built on the former Dunbar High School site. -
African American students attempt to enter Central High
Daisy Bates called the families informing of logistics for Wednesday morning. Do not come to Central High meet near the school around 8:30 a.m. The Eckfords do not have a telephone. Elizabeth rides a bus to Central, approaching the school just before 8:00 a.m. Elizabeth finds herself in a mob of 300+ people. Governor Faubus says the students are not to be permitted to enter the school. 10 students have been denied entry in direct violation of federal law.