Little Rock Crisis
The Little Rock Crisis refers to the events that took place in September 1957 when nine African American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, attempted to integrate Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, following the landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. The crisis became a key moment in the American civil rights movement.
Background
In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. The decision faced resistance in southern states, including Arkansas. In 1957, Governor Orval Faubus defied the federal mandate by calling in the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the nine African American students from entering the school, arguing that their presence would lead to violence.
Escalation and Federal Intervention
On September 4, 1957, the Little Rock Nine arrived at Central High School only to be turned away by the National Guard under orders from Governor Faubus. After weeks of escalating tension and national media attention, President Dwight D. Eisenhower intervened by federalizing the National Guard and sending in the 101st Airborne Division to escort the students into the school. On September 25, 1957, under military protection, the Little Rock Nine entered the school, marking a major victory for the civil rights movement.
Aftermath
The Little Rock Crisis highlighted the intense opposition to desegregation in the South and forced the federal government to confront state resistance to the implementation of civil rights legislation. The events were a catalyst for further civil rights activism and paved the way for future legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Governor Faubus closed all of Little Rock's high schools for the 1958-1959 school year, an event known as the "Lost Year," in an attempt to resist further integration efforts.
Legacy
The Little Rock Crisis is remembered as a pivotal moment in the struggle for civil rights in the United States. It demonstrated the federal government's willingness to enforce court orders for desegregation and illustrated the deep-seated opposition to racial equality in the South.
See Also
- Brown v. Board of Education
- Civil Rights Movement
- Orval Faubus
- Eisenhower and civil rights
- Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site
References
- Bates, Daisy. The Long Shadow of Little Rock. University of Arkansas Press, 1962.
- Beals, Melba Pattillo. Warriors Don't Cry. Simon & Schuster, 1994.
- Chappell, David L. Inside Agitators: White Southerners in the Civil Rights Movement. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996.