The Little Rock Nine

Introduction

The year is 1957, three years ago the United States Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools is unconstitutional and all public schools must integrate as quickly as possible. Some schools have been slower to allow minority students like African Americans into their schools because of prejudice and fear. One such school, Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been struggling in particular and now has made national news, even drawing the direct attention of President Eisenhower. As a concerned citizen, you want to learn all you can about this event, which some have begun calling "The Little Rock Nine", so that you can come to your own conclusion about the events and tactics used to solve the issue.

Task

To do so, you will create a timeline of events using resources from the internet that outlines what has been happening in Little Rock, Arkansas and why, as well as what others like President Eisenhower, have been doing to solve the issue. With this information and timeline you will be able to decide what you think about the situation and if you think what President Eisenhower has done is good, or not good; enough or not enough, and give your reasons for your decisions or how you might have handled the situation differently.

Process

There are several useful websites and resources included in this activity which should offer a detailed account of events from multiple points of view. You will want to begin by gathering facts and using this as a base for your timeline, and in doing so you will need to evaluate the sources you are using, if there is bias and such. After you have a handle on the basics you can dive deeper and use the resources to help you understand they "why" of the situation and how that fits with your timeline. Finally you will decide what you think of the events and how the situation was handled, locally and nationally, and describe what you would change or how you would have reacted if you had been a citizen somewhere else in the country.

Telegrams and Press Releases from President Eisenhower:

http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/research/online_documents/civil_righ…

President Eisenhower's Address to the Nation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bzmtkhXAno&feature=youtu.be&t=2m50s

(This one is really long but I suggest starting at 2:50 and stopping at about 8 minutes)

Pictures from Central High School:

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement/pictu…

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?en…

Other Information:

http://kingencyclopedia.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_litt…

http://time.com/3874341/little-rock-nine-1957-photos/

http://crdl.usg.edu/events/little_rock_integration/

Evaluation

Your timeline and response should show that you explored more than one web resource and should include accurate and complete information about the Little Rock Nine, it doesn't have to have everything, just what you think is important enough to include from the point of view of someone living in the United States who is concerned about the issue as if it were happening now.

Conclusion

The Little Rock Nine was successful in bringing the issue of school integration in the South to the eyes of the nation and the world, forcing the federal government to act more forcefully than it had in the past to uphold the decisions of the Supreme Court. Tensions between the South and the rest of the nation were well symbolized in this one event with students and adults resisting integration of African American students and the resolve of African Americans to stand up for themselves and achieve their rights given to them by the Constitution of the United States of America. Issues like this are still debated in the present day according to what role the executive branch should play on a state level and what kind of powers are an abuse of power, just as those in the South debated President Eisenhower's intervention in the Little Rock Nine crisis. What's important is to know as much as you can about events and their implications so that you can make a well informed decision about what you believe is right and valid in your present day life.