In the early 1990s, racism was the mirror through which many American viewed the rest of the world. It was the idea of who belonged and who did not belong. There were laws that restricted African Americans from attending the white schools ( Anderson, 2010 ). There were the whites’ schools and the black schools. The blacks could neither attend the whites’ schools nor buy from their shops. Racism was very rampant. Blacks were seen as being inferior individuals who were not to share anything with the whites. There was unequal treatment in every sector. During those years, there were some few Americans who were opposed to the racial segregation. They felt the blacks were being mistreated and viewed as inferior by the whites. They started providing African Americans with the skills and knowledge necessary to oppose the discriminatory laws. They introduced a variety of training institutions and colleges that were open to all the races. At the time, many lawyers trained in these institutions and started to challenge the segregation laws in court. They partnered with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and started attacking these racial segregation laws in the courts. In 1954, in the case of Brown v. Board of education, the court ruled in the favor to end racial segregation. The judges decided that the schools should be open to all without any discrimination based on the race of an individual. However, racial segregation on the school opportunities continued even after this ruling. Civil rights emerged, led by the Little Rock Nine, who became the first African American students to be enrolled in the white school. This paper focuses on the impacts this group had in their fight for the minority rights as well as the current and future developments in the fight for the civil rights.
After the court’s ruling that allowed African American students to attend the public schools, the number of the black students who made applications to join Central High School in Arkansas increased to seventy ( LaNier, & Page, 2010). The ruling marked a new beginning in the American laws as it was declared that racial segregation on the blacks was unconstitutional. It allowed equal opportunity for all the students to attend any school without being discriminated based on their race. It angered the white students who resorted to damaging the property of the African American students and issuing threats. They moved to the homes of the blacks and damaged their properties while they threatened them. It led to the number of the black students dropping to only nine, who were later known as “The Little Rock Nine”. Despite the threats and discrimination they faced, the nine students were bold enough to enter the white schools. They were blocked by the guards from accessing the school compound. The guards claimed that they was protecting the school property from damage and violence. Despite this, they never lost hope. The struggle for their rights continued. After resisting through the protesting crowd to the school gate, they were told they could not enter. The whites students were determined to ensure they ended the black’s dreams of acquiring integration where all human beings could be treated equally. Their efforts continued until the council of church women intervened by writing to the national government demanding the removal of the guard. According to LaNier and Page (2010), t he president in response to the letter acted by removing the guards who were accused of partnering with the white students to humiliate the black students. It was until this time that they first entered the school compound, determined to get equal rights as the white students. Their determination and struggle for the minority rights continued.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Once the nine students were allowed to get into the school compound, the white students who were opposed to integration began rioting. The riot went for over an hour and got violent with creams of “we don’t want to integrate.” As the mob went on rioting and getting worse, the school management feared for the safety of the school and released the nine students to leave. They were sent home through the back of the school to avoid being harmed by the rioting students. The protests did not stop the brave students from fighting for their rights. Despite the threats of the protest from the mob, they remained determined to ensure the racial segregation comes to an end and they get what they believed was their right. They had just gotten the opportunity to set their feet into the compound of the white’s school. It was the beginning of the long struggle that was coming ahead of them. They knew they had to be brave to the end. They had to fight for the other blacks who could not face the cruelty of racial discrimination. They had an obligation to play, and a goal to accomplish. Even though the fight looked tiresome and discouraging, they knew they had to remain strong and fight to the end.
On their return to school, President Eisenhower had to provide them with the security to escort them to school. Over one thousand members of the Airborne Division army were assigned to escort the students to school to protect them from being attacked by the rioting students. On September 25, 1957, the Little Rock Nine attended their first day at the school, making the civil right history. It was the first time an African American attended the same school with the whites. It marked the beginning of the end of the racial discrimination in America schools. Their brevity and unending determination put them in the world history. Their perseverance in the event of several challenges and the brave heart they had made them mark a beginning of the fight towards human rights. Despite having made a step in the fight for their rights, they knew much still waited for them. It was just the beginning of the long battle they were facing. They had to remain reignited to fight for their rights to the end. The achievement made by attending the whites’ school for the first time was just to act as a motivation to the more battle that awaited them.
Once they were in the school, life was not comfortable. They were subjected to both physical and verbal abuses. In the bathroom, in the classrooms, and in any part of the school compound that they went, it was all verbal and physical abuses. The Airborne Division could not give them protection everywhere they went. This gave the white students a chance to abuse and frustrated the black students. They could not be allowed to take part in any co-curricular activities. The white students were determined to end the black’s dream of ever attaining integration. But the nine knew they had the battle to fight. They knew they would have to live through the sufferings and harassment to guarantee their rights. They were able to live through the daily abuses, harassment, and threats in their unity towards attaining the right to equal treatment for all the students despite the race affiliation. They knew it was their obligation to fight for the deliverance of the many African American individuals who were being subjected to racial segregation in many of the activities. It was a battle they had to win to deliberate other people from the slavery of racism.
Despite the majority of the nine battling through the challenges, one of them could not handle it any longer. Minnijean Brown revolted against the students who were torturing her, and she was expelled, from school. While the rest of the eight students never reacted to the abuse, Minnijean got angered and fought back. The rest of the students continued with the life of harassment and abuses. In 1958, a vote was taken to close four of the High schools in the Little Rock to prevent desegregation from continuing. As at the time of closure, Ernest Green became the first African American to graduate from Central High School ( Bates, 2014). All the other students also graduated, marking the end to racial discrimination in the American schools.
The Little Rock Nine contributed greatly to the fight for the rights of the minority in America. The Braveheart they had and the ability to resist al the harassment and threats to finish their studies in the white schools played a key role in the fight for the right of the blacks in America. The formation of the civil rights movements by the blacks’ ensured justice was sought in the courts to illegalize racial discrimination in schools. The efforts of the Little Rock Nine to fight for their rights made the president to send the army to guard all the black students against harm and promote integration. It impacted positively in the fight for the rights of the minority. Hard the nine students gave up due to the harassment from the white students; this achievement could not have been made. Racism could have continued in the education system in America. The brevity to handle all the abuses they received also contributed to in the win of the racial segregation battle. They fought tirelessly, going through hard situations and harassment. They fought the good battle, kept the faith, persevered the challenges and finally they delivered victory.
Several years after the momentous events in the U.S., the Little Rock Nine remain in the history books in America and their contribution to the civil right movements remain great in useful in the current and future generations to come. They remain unanimous in proclaiming the true heroes of the battle at the Central High School.
Ernest Green
He became the first African American student to graduate from Central High School in 1958 ( Bates, D. 2014). He got to the America books of history as the first black resisted all the racial discrimination and torture to graduate in the whites’ school.
Elizabeth Eckford
She graduated from the white school amid the increasing racial segregation. She made a career in the U.S. by working as journalism. She returned to her motherland in 1974, and she is currently working as a social worker.
Jefferson Thomas
He graduated from Central High School in 1960. He got to the book of history as being among the first blacks to graduate from the white schools.
Terrence Roberts
After making history in Central school, he moved with his family to Los Angeles where he got his doctorate and currently teaches at California University.
Carlotta Walls Lanier
She also graduated from the central school in 1959 and joined the American books of history.
Minnijean Brown
She is the only one among the nine who could not handle the harassment anymore and was expelled after she fought back with the white students ( Anderson, K. 2010).
Gloria Ray Karlmark
She also graduated from the central school amid the resistance by the white students. She made also went into the history book.
Thelma Mothershed
She graduated from central school and joined the history books as among the first blacks to graduate from the white schools.
Melba Pattillo
She also joined the history book with other fellow students as among the first to graduate from the white schools.
The role played by the Little Rock Nine in the civil rights movement is still important in the current civil right movement. Currently, in American schools, everyone is free to attend any school despite their race. Schools are not grouped into the white schools and the black schools. In the ruling that was made in the Brown v. Board of education case, it was decided that it is unconstitutional to segregate the students based on their race. The ruling is still existence to date, making it an offence to discriminate any student based on their race. Racism has been reduced significantly since 1954, thanks to the Little Rock Nine. Since they persevered all the challenges to become the first blacks to graduate in the white schools, it marked the end of the racial segregation in the United States. As a result of their struggle, unity has been created between the whites and the blacks, who attend the same schools, buy from the same shop and share several services. The blacks and the whites live as brothers and sisters in the United States, with very minimal racial discrimination. If the Little Rock Nine never persevered the harassment from the whites, the equality in the treatment of the whites and the blacks witnessed in the American schools would not have been in existence.
The role played by the Little Rock Nine in the civil rights movement contributes significantly to the future generation. The civil rights movements will remain in existence to fight for the rights of the minority. Racial discrimination will remain a matter of the past, and the laws that protect the minority from being mistreated will continue to apply in the courts of law. The tireless battle by the Little Rock Nine, therefore, remains a significant symbol into the future generation. Their efforts will have a change in the future generation and their interaction with one another. It teaches the future generation the need to remain united in the fight for what is right and just. It elaborates the need to fight for human rights despite the challenges that come with it. In the end; challenges, brevity, and perseverance always lead to prosperity.
In conclusion, the Little Rock Nine created a new chapter in the American history. Their constant efforts to fight for their rights marked a new era in the civil rights movement. The harassment they underwent without losing hope in their fight for their rights made them get into the American history books. They put on brevity and courage as they kept the faith to achieve equal treatment for all people, whether blacks or whites. The challenges were unbearable and discouraging, but they never lost hope. They kept the faith, and remained determined in their fights. Neither the protest nor being blocked by the guards from entering the school compound could bar them from fighting for their rights. As a result of their undiminishing determination, they won the battle and finally graduated in the whites’ school. The role they played has remained significant to the current and future civil rights movement. It creates the need for the civil rights to remain determined in their fight for their rights and at the end of the day, they will emerge victoriously.
References
Anderson, K. (2010). Little Rock: Race and Resistance at Central High School . Princeton University Press.
Bates, D. (2014). The long shadow of Little Rock: A memoir . University of Arkansas Press.
LaNier, C. W., & Page, L. F. (2010). A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School . One World.
