Desegregating Little Rock’s Schools

Desegregation was an explosive issue in America in the 1950s, particularly in southern states like Arkansas.

In 1957, a storm brewed over Little Rock’s Central High School as nine black students pushed against the old boundaries of segregation and demanded an inclusive education. Governor Orval Faubus questioned the validity of desegregation, ordering the Arkansas National Guard to ensure that the students did not enter the school.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower responded to this transparent attempt to continue segregationist policies by federalizing the Arkansas National Guard, thereby taking them out of Governor Faubus’ control. In the south, the move was controversial, but the rest of the nation mostly supported desegregation and Eisenhower’s decision.