Anniversary of Little Rock 9

Whilst many young students will be complaining on going back to school this September, we should remind the children of today how important education is, and how privileged we are to be able to have a education system that treats all students equally regarding the colour of their skin. This September will mark the 57th Anniversary of the end to the Little Rock Crisis.

The Little Rock Crisis began with the plan by school superintendent Virgil Blossom to desegregate the schools of Little Rock. He planned to slowly allow more schools to be open to a few black students. The plan was criticised but a majority accepted the plan, seeing it as reasonable. However the plan didn’t last long, and changes started to take place as gerrymandered school districts guaranteed a black majority at Horace Mann High and a white majority at Hall High. The altered plan did not give black students the opportunity to attend Hall, but gave white students the choice of not attending Horace Mann.

The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) were outraged and filed a lawsuit in 1956, which was a key contributor to the Little Rock crisis. Many segregationists refused to allow black students into the school, with Governor Orval Faubus deploying the Arkansas National Guard to support the segregationists of not allowing the nine students to enter the school, after the US Supreme Court had upheld a ban on racial segregation, making racial segregation unlawful. He defying the court’s decision led to the Mayor of Little Rock, Woodrow Wilson Mann asking President Eisenhower to send in federal troops to enforce the courts ruling and protect the nine students.

The Federal Troops took over, taking the power to deploy the Arkansas National Guard away from Faubus, and allowing the nine students to attend Little Rock Central High. Whilst the students attended the school under the protection of federal troops, the students suffered extreme abuse from fellow white pupils. One of the nine, Melba Patillo had pieces of flaming paper being dropped on her from above, when she was locked in a bathroom stall by a group of white girls. The students were physically and verbally abused, scaring them for the rest of their lives.

With the anniversary approaching, we need to remember how important education is and what these nine students had to go through in order for the future generation of students to have an equal education system. We need to celebrate the bravery of these individuals, as their determination and courage reformed the education system forever. We here in Britain are very fortunate to have access to a free education system, which gives students from all backgrounds an opportunity to shine, we should never forget this, and the nine students who’s bravery has led us to a education system with equal opportunity.

Roshni Vekereya