Description
The Little Rock Nine were nine African American students who enrolled in Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. The event became a symbol of the struggle for civil rights and racial equality in the United States.
In May of 1957, the U.S. Supreme Court had declared school segregation unconstitutional in the landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education. In response, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus called in the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the nine African American students from entering the school. The students, who were ages 15 to 17, were escorted by their parents, the Little Rock police department, and members of the U.S. Army. They were met with hostility and violence from a crowd of hundreds of people, including some who had gathered to physically prevent the students from entering the school.
The students, who were later known as the Little Rock Nine, eventually made it into the school, but they were met with further resistance from the students and staff. They were ostracized and threatened. Despite this, the students persevered and completed their studies.
The incident at Central High School brought national attention to the civil rights movement. President Eisenhower eventually sent in federal troops to ensure the students’ safety. The Little Rock Nine became a symbol of the fight against racial injustice. Their courage and determination paved the way for desegregation of schools across the country.
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