EOTO #4: Little Rock Nine + James Meridith

 

    In 1954, the Supreme Court declared a verdict that would dramatically alter the country's educational system forever. In the Brown v. Board decision, the Supreme Court overturned their "Separate but Equal" doctrine prescribed in Plessy v. Ferguson and declared that separating children in public school on the basis of race was unconstitutional. This decision reverberated throughout the country, sparking outrage in some, fear in others, and hope in many. Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas would become the first battleground for the war on segregation. Fought by nine high school kids: Melba Pattillo, Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Minnijean Brown, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls, Jefferson Thomas, Gloria Ray, and Thelma Mothershed. These nine soldiers became etched in history as the Little Rock Nine.

    Integration was far from easy however. On the first day of classes, Arkansas Governor Orval Eugene Faubus stationed about 270 soldiers from the Arkansas National Guard to block the school's entrance and prevent the nine's entry. This blatant protest to integration and federal power led to President Eisenhower having a meeting with the Governor and Little Rock's mayor for 18 days to try and achieve a
compromise. Eisenhower federalized the National Guard, sending the elite 101st Airborne Division to the school to ensure the safety of the nine students.

    The Nine didn't just face legal barriers but a plethora of physical ones as well. In Melba Pattillo's memoir, Warriors Don't Cry, she recounts all the violent assault and abuse she had to endure from her White counterparts during her short tenure at Central High. Everything from relatively tame pranks like spraying ink on her dress, to straight up attempted murder, like when she had a stick of dynamite tossed at her in the stairwell. Or when someone threw acid into her eyes, almost losing her vision if it weren't for a soldier from the 101st. The constant verbal and physical abuse caused immense mental strain, making her depressed; she even went so far as to consider taking her own life. Fortunately, thanks to their resilience, the country moved one giant step closer toward protecting the Civil Rights of its people.

  Following in their footsteps comes James Meredith, a civil rights activist that became the first African-American to attend the University of Mississippi. In 1961, Meredith sued the University for refusing his enrollment soley on the basis of race. In Meredith v. Fair, the district court refuted his claim and argued that he simply didn't meet the requirements to enter Ole Miss, though they somehow also admitted that the entrance requirements did deny Black applicants their equal protection rights. They required 5 Ole Miss alumni to endorse an incoming student, but since no previous students had ever been Black, Meredith was out of luck. He took the case to the Supreme Court, won, and was finally able to attend Ole Miss. But much like his predecessors, he wasn't received kindly. There were large campus riots on his first day that resulted in two deaths, prompting Meredith to require close supervision and protection by federal marshals during his time at Ole Miss.

    The fight for educational integration in this country was not easy. It involved plenty of one-sided violence and abuse, but it fortunately paved the way for the diverse education system of the country today.