LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL CRISIS OF 1957

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Little Rock School Crisis of 1957
The conclusion of the Civil War in America was not effective enough to create a united nation for Americans. After the abolishment of slave trade, the main threat to the unity of America existed in the form of African-American segregation. The effects of the Little Rock Integration Crisis marked a stepping stone, leading into a united America. The crisis helped in the setting of new rules and standards for integration. This essay discusses the origin of the crisis while comparing the roles of President Eisenhower and Governor Faubus.
The crisis began following the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in the case Brown vs. the Board of Education . The court ruled against racial segregation in public schools since it violated the fourteenth amendment of the Constitution. After the ruling, the Board of Little Rock School agreed to obey the decision, but only if the court outlined the implementation method and timeframe. The board directed Virgil Blossom, the superintendent, to work out a desegregation plan. Blossom’s plan was set to begin in May 1955 as a gradual process starting with elementary levels. The plan was, however, scrapped owing to parents’ opposition, and the district board decided to start the desegregation at Central High School in the fall of 1957.
As the fall of 1957 approached, resistance to desegregation plan was intensifying. The school district officials and segregationists, who had predicted that aggression would erupt if desegregation at Central High was proceeded as planned, asked Governor Faubus to take measures to maintain order . Faubus, who publicly condemned the federal government of trying to force the desegregation on unwilling public, mobilized Arkansas National Guards in September 1957 in an effort to stop the enrollment of the nine African-American learners in Central High School . The federal district judge ordered the progress of the desegregation. Nevertheless, when the African-American students reported, Arkansas guards besieged them. The crisis grew over the next three weeks while the district judge maintained that the desegregation had to continue. Meanwhile, several negotiation attempts with Faubus were not successful. The admission of the African-American students had to wait until September 25, 1957. This was after President Eisenhower took actions against the governor for being defiant. The President federalized the Arkansas National troops, and ordered one thousand troops from the States Army’s 101st Airborne Division to oversee the integration .
The enrollment of the nine students was not the end of the crisis. The Little Rock High School crisis continued throughout the year. However, in the midst of all the resistance and abuses, eight of the little Rock Nine made it through the year. In fact, one of them graduated in May 1958. At the fall of 1958, Faubus, who was leading the opposition to desegregation, called for the closure of all the schools in Little Rock, where desegregation had been effected. However, from December 1959, all schools had to be reopened following a Supreme Court ruling, hence marking the end of the crisis . The Little Rock School crisis is remembered as a symbol of resistance to racial desegregation.

Bibliography
“Every Person Has a Story of Courage: The Little Rock Nine.” National Park Service. Accessed February 2, 2014. http://www.nps.gov/chsc/forteachers/upload/the%20little%20rock%20nine%20lesson%0plan.pdf.
“Desegregation of Central High School.” The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. Last modified November 26, 2013. http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entrydetail.aspx?entryID=718.