-
Little Rock Nine Recruited
Daisy Bates and others from the Arkansas NAACP carefully chose the group of students and determined they all had the strength and determination to face the resistance they would soon see. -
Governor Odeal
On September 2, 1957, Governor Orval Faubus announced that he would call in the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the African-American students’ entry to Central High, this action was for the students’ own protection. Faubus insisted that violence and bloodshed might break out if black students were allowed to enter the school. The following day, the Mother’s League held a sunrise service at the school as a protest against integration. -
Turned away by state troops
Little Rock Nine arrived to their first day of school on September 4, 1957. Only 8 of them arrived. Eckford did not have a phone so she did not know of the carpool plans. So she arrived alone -
Aftermath Pt. 2
Other than Green, the rest of the Little Rock Nine completed their high school careers. Eckford joined the Army and later earned her General Education Equivalency diploma. Little Rock’s high schools reopened in August 1959.Green served as assistant secretary of the federal Department of Labor under President Jimmy Carter. Brown worked as deputy assistant secretary for work force diversity in the Department of the Interior under President Bill Clinton. Patillo worked as a reporter for NBC. -
Aftermath
The Nine each had their own experience. Eckford had fireworks shot at her. Ernest was almost thrown into a pipe that would have burned him alive. -
Offense
Although several of the black students had positive experiences on their first day of school, September 25, 1957, they experienced routine harassment and even violence throughout the rest of the year. Patillo, for instance, was kicked, beaten and had acid thrown in her face, and at one point white students burned an African-American effigy in a vacant lot across from the school. Ray was pushed down a flight of stairs. -
Little Rock Nine Now
Now a day the nine still are friends and have their own statues. They were given medals twice once by Ex-President Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
