This Day in History: 27 November 2019
27 November 1957
62 years ago, today, the US Army withdrew from Little Rock, Arkansas', Central High School after an attempt to integrate the school. In 1954, the US Supreme Court ruled that, from the famous Brown v Board of Education case, the segregation of schools in the US South was unconstitutional, but despite this, the integration of the schools was not simple to enact so quickly. Conflict arose, and it reached its peak at Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, where nine black students attempted to join the school in 1957. This enraged the pro-segregation state government and governor at the time, Orval Faubus.
On September 4, 1957, Arkansas' National Guard was instructed by Faubus to prevent the integration of students, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower had to become involved. He ordered the National Guard to be taken out of the Governor's control, and ordered the US Army to support the integration of the school. The students were then successfully integrated on September 23, 1957, and on 27 November 1957, the US Army withdrew from the school. However, the nine students did not find it easy at Little Rock, and were regularly abused by the white students, but integration of all schools in the US eventually occurred as a result of the Brown v Board decision.
Want to find out more about this past event of segregation and racism? Visit https://www.britannica.com/topic/Little-Rock-Nine for more details.
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