Saturday, September 7, 2019

Violence Associated with Integration at Little Rock Central High The Essay

Violence Associated with Integration at Little Rock Central High The Little Rock Nine as Individuals - Essay Example Little Rock incident or crisis as it is usually called is a proof of the same kind of racial discrimination. Oryal Faubus was the Governor of Arkansas at that time. Faubus tried to stop the students who were African-Americans to enter the school. This was solely on the basis of racial issues. Initially the students had to face a lot of trouble to stay in the school as the Governor was against allowing them to even enter the school. They were allowed to enter the school, join the classes and finally graduate from this school after the intervention of President Eisenhower (Lanier, 2009). By the mid of 20th century, the African-American movement of equal civil rights was also on its peak. Considering the changes that were taking place in the social fabric of American life, people were becoming less extremist and thus the African-Americans were being accepted as normal human beings by many. Faubus was however not one of them. When these kids were to attend the school on their first day, they were stopped by the National Guard. Troops from National Guard of Arkansas tried to stop these kids from entering the school and once these African-Americans entered the school, they were harassed by mobs making threats to them. It was of course not a very pleasant situation for them (Kirk, 2008). By that time, the historic 1954 verdict of U.S. Supreme court was already out. According to this verdict of Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, all segregated schools were considered to be not following the constitution of America. The American constitution is not in favor of racial discrimination. However, before 1954, many segregated schools operated in the U.S. as there was no fully defined law against these schools. By 1954, all schools which were segregated and did not allow students from African-American origin to get admission and study were asked to desegregate and allow all students on the basis of merit to get admission in this school. This was a time when National Associa tion for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was fully active. This organization tried to get registered as many black students as possible in the schools which were good but were all white only a couple of years before. Their attempts were more successful in the south. Violence Associated with the Little Rock Nine Crises: Little Rock School Board of Arkansas decided to go with the Supreme Court ruling in 1955. They passed their own plan of integration of black students in 1955. Virgil Blossom was the superintendent of schools and his plan which was approved was to be implemented from 1957, the year these Little Rock nine got admission in this school. By the efforts of NAACP, nine black students were admitted to this school in 1957 (Gordy, 1997). These kids were selected on the basis of their educational background and the grades they have acquired so far. The Little Rock 9 was a name given to this group of black students who joined this school in 1957. Their names were Green, Eckford, Thomas, Roberts, LaNier, Brown, Karlmark, Mothershed and Beals. Earnest Green who was born in 1941 was the first one of these black students to graduate from this school (Faubus, 1980). When these students were admitted to this school a lot of people who wanted segregation on the basis of racial discrimination held protests against this school. The first violent reaction to the admission of these students to the school was the blockade by these protestors to not allow the students to enter the school. Governor Orval Faubus helped them further by deploying National Guard troops to stop these students from entering the school premises. He was clearly in favor of segregation. In the nation however, there was a

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