Little+Rock,+Arkansas

**Little Rock, Arkansas ** **Monday September 23rd, 1957. ** //A white mob gathered at the entrance of Central High, Little Rock Arkansas awaiting the arrival of 9 African American students. //

Background Info - Little Rock is the capital of one of the most famous cities in the USA, Arkansas.

Little Rock Central High School was forced into desegregation during the civil rights movements. In 1957, nine African American students were enrolled in Little Rock Central High. On Monday the 23rd of September ‘The Little Rock 9’ attempted to attend the racially segregated school, yet encountered difficulty from a white mob fumed by racial hatred towards the black students wishing to attend a white school. When attempting to attend Central High the students were subject to racial comments, abuse and threats of lynching. As the brave students pioneered a path through the angry mob to the gates of the school, they were prevented from entering by the school guards. Following the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case on the 17th of May the decision declared all laws establishing segregated schools to be unconstitutional, calling for desegregation of all schools throughout the nation. Many of the schools in the North abided or attempted to abide, allowing several black students to attend previously white schools, yet a problem arose in the South with many neglecting the ruling of the court refusing to integrate the schools (Wikipedia). In Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas the Central High school board agreed to comply with the high court’s ruling, submitting a plan of gradual integrating starting during the fall of the 1957 school year. The school then selected on the criteria of excellent grades.

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