Opposition to School Integration

12th grade student watching teacher teach a class on television, after high schools were closed to prevent integration, Little Rock, Arkansas

Credit: Library of Congress

Essential Question:

How did individuals and groups resist the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education?


 

 

In 1957, nine African American students were the first to integrate into Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. They were known as the Little Rock Nine. On the first day of classes, the state’s governor, who staunchly opposed integration, used the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the students from entering the school. Because the governor defied lawful court orders to integrate the school, President Eisenhower deployed the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division to force desegregation. Even after the students had begun their classes, the troops remained stationed at Central High throughout the year to protect them.

Play the video clip to learn how the events unfolded at Central High School in Little Rock and think about the following questions:

  • What resistance did Black students face when they tried to integrate into Little Rock Central High School?
  • Why did Eisenhower decide to send troops to enforce integration in Little Rock Central High?


 

Report on the students' progress

The Black students at Little Rock Central High School endured many hardships. In this letter, Daisy Bates, president of the Arkansas NAACP, wrote to Roy Wilkins, NAACP Executive Director, about the treatment of the Little Rock Nine. The letter was written on December 17, 1957, several months into the school year.

Read the excerpt to learn more about how the closings impacted students.


source: https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/brown/brown-aftermath.html#obj127

 

  • What were some hardships the Black students faced?
  • To what degree did the administration take action to protect Black students?

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