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Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education declares all laws segregating schools to be unconstitutional. After Brown v. Board of Education, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) made an effort to desegregate all white schools in the south. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
On May 18, 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court sets precedent of "separate but equal," saying that as long as the facilities are of "equal" quality, it does not violate the constitution. -
Little Rock School Board Plans to Integrate School
Little Rock School Board agrees to follow the ruling and superintendent, Virgil Blossom created a plan to integrate schools at the start of the 1958 school year. The board chose nine students by their excellent record of grades and attendance to be the first black students to attend a previously all white school. Little Rock 9 would go on to become one of the most important events in the civil rights movement. -
Integration
Many public things, including busses, parks, zoos, libraries, and universities are integrated in 1956. -
Entrance Blocked
Several local segregationist groups threatented to protest the movement and blockade the entrance so the black students physically could not enter. Governor Orval Faubus backed up the segregationists and deployed the Arkansas National Guard. The line of soldiers blocking the students' entrance into the school made national headlines and set the city apart from the rest of the country. -
Federal Intervention
Attorneys from the U.S. Justice Department filed to have the National Guard removed from the school. Judge Ronald Davies ordered the governor to withdraw the soldiers. Once gone, the Little Rock Police Department took over. Hundreds of parents of white students remained in front of the school protesting. The Police officers were able to get the students into the school, however the protest turned into a riot once the parents found out, and the students were escorted out. -
Armed Escort
Mayor Woodrow Mann asks Esienhower to send federal troops to protect the students and implement the plan. On Sept. 24, the 101st Airborne Division was sent in, and the Arkansas National Guard was federalized, removing all power from Governor Faubus. The 101st got the students into the school the next day, on the 25th. Soldiers remained at the school for the duration of the school year. -
A Rough Year
With the protection of the U.S Army, the nine students were admitted to the school by the end of September 1957. However, they still went through a great deal of physical and verbal abuse. In one instance, a student, Melba Pattillo had acid thrown in her eyes. In another, Minnijean Brown was confronted by a group of boys in the cafeteria in December. She dumped a bowl of chili on the students, and was removed from the school. Afterwards, the white students made signs saying "1 down, 8 to go." -
School Closing to avoid desegragation
The citizens' council continued to protest and the scool board decided to close the school to prevent integration. -
Graduation
Two out of the nine students from Little Rock 9 graduated among the 600 white students after the school reopened.
