African American Studies - Memo Critique

LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOLLITTLE ROCK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL Presentation

Jasmine Derricks

Dr. Mjiba Frehiwot

University of Maryland Global Campus

July 28, 2020

I N T R O D U C T I O N

• Daisy Bates recruited nine black students to enroll in all-white Central High School.

• Tested Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka by attempting to desegregate

TIMELINE

The Little Rock Nine being escorted by the  National Guard to Little Rock Central High  School, Arkansas, 1957.CSU Archive/Everett  Collection/age fotostock

 Sept 2, 1957 – Governor barred African American from school for their “safety”

 Sept 3, 1957 – 1st day of school. Little Rock Nine did not arrive.

 Sept 4, 1957 – Guards bar students from school. Elizabeth was harassed by white mob.

 Sept 7, 1957 – Judge Davies orders desegregation on Sept. 9.

 Sept 23, 1957 – The nine students enter the building. Riots began and students left early.

 Sept 24, 1957 – President Eisenhower sends 1,200 National Guard to Little Rock.

 Sept 25, 1957 – Students entered with protect from U.S Soldiers

 May 27, 1958 – Ernest Green was the first student to graduate Central High (National Park Service, 2020

P R O T E S T I N G AT L I T T L E R O C K C E N T R A L H I G H

• Governor ordered National Guardsmen to block students from entry.

• Unable to contact Elizabeth, she is greeted by angry crowd.

• Threatened, racial slurs, and spit as she walked.

• Three reported were assaulted.

EXPERIENCES OF THE LITTLE ROCK NINE

Video Credit: National Park Service

L I T T L E R O C K N I N E M O N U M E N T • Memorial honoring the bravery of desegregation at Central High.

Photo credit: Civil Rights Trail

T O D AY

• Currently has 68% minority enrollment (majority black)

Photo credit: National Park Foundation Website

Photo Credit: NW Arkansas Democrat Gazette, & Besson, E. , 2017).

• Binkovitz, L. (2013, February 8). Q+A: The youngest of the Little Rock Nine talks about her first day of school. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian- institution/qa-the-youngest-of-the-little-rock-nine-talks-about-her-first-day-of-school-13924374/

• Central high school profile (2020) | Little Rock, AR. (n.d.). Public School Review. https://www.publicschoolreview.com/central-high-school-profile/72202

• Civil Rights Trail. (2020). https://civilrightstrail.com/attraction/little-rock-nine-memorial-at- statecapitol/#:~:text=Little%20Rock%20Nine%20Memorial%20at%20the%20State%20Cap itol,of%20desegregating%20the%20city%E2%80%99s%20public%20schools%20in%201957.

• Jaynes, G. (n.d.). Little Rock Nine. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Little-Rock-Nine

• History & culture - Little Rock central high school national historic site (U.S. National Park Service). (2015, April 10). NPS.gov (U.S. National Park Service). https://www.nps.gov/chsc/learn/historyculture/index.htm

• National Park Service. (2020, May 20). Crisis timeline. NPS.gov (U.S. National Park Service). https://www.nps.gov/chsc/learn/historyculture/timeline.htm

• NW Arkansas Democrat Gazette, & Besson, E. (2017, September 22). Little Rock's central high reflects on 60 years, but racial chasm persists in district. Arkansas Online. https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2017/sep/22/central-high-reflects-on-60-years- 20170/

REFERENCE