Little Rock (1957) Notes

Little Rock (1957)

Background and Blossom Plan

1. After the 1954 Brown v. Board ruling, Little Rock’s School Board agreed to comply but adopted the “Blossom Plan” for gradual, token integration, beginning with high schools in 1957.
2. African American enrollment was limited to a small number, delaying full integration due to white opposition and segregated housing patterns.

White Resistance and the Little Rock Nine

1. Local white opposition grew strong with groups like the Capital Citizens Council and the Mothers League of Central High School.
2. These groups used racial fears and propaganda to rally resistance, claiming integration threatened white children’s health and promoted miscegenation.
3. In 1957, nine Black students were chosen to integrate Central High School. They became known as the Little Rock Nine.
4. Governor Orval Faubus opposed integration and ordered the Arkansas National Guard to block their entry, creating a constitutional crisis over federal versus state authority.

Federal Intervention

1. Federal Judge Ronald Davies ordered the Guard removed.
2. When the Little Rock Nine first attempted to enter, they faced violent mobs of white protestors.
3. The students were forced to withdraw for safety, as police could not control the crowds.
4. President Eisenhower responded by federalizing the Arkansas National Guard.
5. He also sent 1,200 troops from the 101st Airborne Division to enforce integration and protect the students.
6. Eisenhower’s action emphasized federal supremacy over state resistance and condemned mob rule.

Experience of the Little Rock Nine

1. Once admitted, the Little Rock Nine endured daily harassment, threats, and violence from white students, while many teachers ignored the abuse or denied them participation in school activities.
2. Despite these hostile conditions, eight students managed to complete the school year, showing resilience in the face of constant intimidation.
3. Minnijean Brown, however, was expelled after several confrontations with white students, highlighting how little protection was given to Black students in integrated schools.
4. In 1958, Arkansas escalated resistance by closing all Little Rock high schools for an entire year in an attempt to block integration, a measure that was approved by white voters.
5. Many white students found alternative schooling during the closures, but only about half of African American students were able to continue their education, demonstrating the deep racial inequality and disruption caused by the policy.

Legacy and Federal Enforcement

1. Legal battles over the closures continued into 1959, when the Supreme Court struck down the shutdown of public schools as unconstitutional.
2. Following this ruling, federal court supervision resumed under a new School Board, which gradually reopened schools and restarted the process of desegregation.
3. This slow but steady reopening marked a critical moment in the Civil Rights Movement, underscoring that victories like Brown v. Board required direct federal enforcement to overcome state defiance and ensure progress.