The Little Rock Nine

 

Visited This National Historic Site on 6-8-21.  We walked in just as a ranger was starting a “one hour tour.”  Decided to go. Learned a lot about the “causation” that culminated with nine high schools students first, being barred from starting high school on 9/3/1957, by the National Guard on orders from the Governor and then two weeks later being escorted to class by those same “federalized” National Guard officers on orders from the President. 

To say our Park Service Ranger was enthusiastic would be woefully inaccurate. She was obsessed with this event. After the second hour of the tour that took us out in the rain to relive the events of that month, when she stated that she was going to start talking about each of the nine students character, we decided to leave the tour. 

We did learn a ton about this event. The high school that was at the epicenter of this event (Little Rock Central High School) was built in 1927 at a cost of 1.5M dollars (that’s in1927 dollars).  It is a tribute to the architecture of the time. Absolutely stunning. 

Because the school is officially on the register of historic places it must be maintained in the exact state it was originally. That’s why it still looks so great. 

The more prophetic design feature is the placement of four statutes over the front entrance - “Ambition, Personality, Opportunity and Preparation.”  Each of the black students who helped to segregate this school had to possess those qualities to standup to the bigotry, racism, and violence they endured during that month in September and beyond, merely to get a shot at attending a non-segregated school. Today, the population of the student body is 70% African American.  

 Then we ventured over to the state Capitol to see the statute commissioned to depict the brave nine. 

Great history lesson for the day and another stamp.