20.1.4

Little Rock High School

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The Desegregation of Little Rock High School 1957

When Little Rock in Arkansas desegregated Governor Faubus ordered state troops to stop the black students entering. This was reported internationally and sparked outrage.

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Little Rock

  • Little Rock in Arkansas already had some desegregated facilities, and after Brown, plans were made to desegregate the high school.
  • 75 black students applied, and the school chose the top 25.
  • However, due to threats and violence from racist white people, only nine students were still willing to attend in September 1957.
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Elizabeth Eckford

  • Governor Faubus of Arkansas ordered 250 state troops to stop the black students entering, and organised huge protests outside the gates.
  • The black students were advised to miss the first day, and arrive together the next day on an NAACP organised bus.
  • However, Elizabeth Eckford didn’t get the message and arrived alone to face the white mob screaming “lynch her”.
    • Lynching is an execution without a trial that is carried out by a mob.
  • The state troopers refused to help her and she fled.
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International outrage

  • 250 reporters showed the events in national newspapers, causing huge outrage in the USA and abroad.
  • International embarrassment caused President Eisenhower to order the removal of the state troops and sign a Presidential Order to send 1000 federal troops to protect the Little Rock Nine, despite his personal opposition to legally enforcing desegregation.
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Federal protection

  • Federal troops had to protect the Little Rock Nine for the rest of the school year, but could not stop the bullying and couldn’t protect their homes and families.
  • Governor Faubus closed every school in Little Rock for the next academic year, but he was forced to re-open and integrate them in September 1959.
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Massive resistance

  • Massive resistance to desegregation was made illegal in 1959, but other state governments used loopholes to avoid desegregation:
    • Only desegregating one school year at a time.
    • Only accepting a few black pupils in each school.
    • Only desegregating a few schools in the area but keeping the rest segregated.
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Massive resistance cont.

  • Loopholes used to avoid desegregation:
    • Introducing testing that was rigged against black pupils.
    • Using the excuse of riots outside schools to keep black pupils out ‘for their own protection’.

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4The Empire of Mali: 1076-1670 AD

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