Little Rock Nine Didn't Realize They Were Making History
The youngest of the Little Rock Nine spoke about one of the most important events in the Civil Rights Movement at the University of Illinois Springfield on Wednesday.
Carlotta Walls LaNier said she hopes sharing her story will help educate people who might not know be aware of hers and others’ struggles in the civil rights movement.
LaNier was one of nine black children who enrolled in previously racially segregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Then-Gov. Orval Faubus tried to prevent the teens from entering the school even though the U.S. Supreme Court had declared segregated schools to be unconstitutional.
“I have found a number of communities did not know about this time in our history, and I discovered anger from young people wanting to know why they didn’t learn” about it, LaNier said.
At the time, LaNier said, she didn’t realize how historic her decision to stay in the school would be.
“We didn’t go to school there to make history,” she said. “We went to school there to get the best education available.
“When you look back on it, I was 14 years of age,” LaNier added. Since then, “I have truly understood that we really did a monumental thing by staying. We weren’t quitters.”
LaNier wasn’t scared on Sept. 4, 1957, when Faubus deployed the Arkansas National Guard to support segregationists who had gathered outside the school.
“Sept. 23 was my day of fear, and that was the day that the 17 policemen could not hold back over 1,000 mobsters who wanted to lynch one of us,” LaNier said. “That day was a very fearful day. I didn’t realize what was going on outside the school.”
On Sept. 24, President Dwight Eisenhower ordered the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock and federalized the Arkansas National Guard, taking it out of Faubus’ control. The next day, the students successfully entered the school.
Although much has changed in the past 54 years, LaNier said she believes desegregation laws are still necessary. The Springfield School District still has a desegregation order in effect.
“I do not think that it makes sense that you lift those measures if you have not succeeded in doing what was really necessary,” LaNier said. “My feeling – and I don’t know the politics in Springfield – I do feel education is still the foundation, is still the key to success.
Source.
Apologies for not fleshing out yesterday's post yet. I haven't been home to New York in a few months and I've been catching up with my personal life. I will do better this week. :).
Previously this month: Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, Day Five, Day Six, Day Seven, Day Eight, Day Nine, Day Ten, Day Eleven, Day Twelve
The youngest of the Little Rock Nine spoke about one of the most important events in the Civil Rights Movement at the University of Illinois Springfield on Wednesday.
Carlotta Walls LaNier said she hopes sharing her story will help educate people who might not know be aware of hers and others’ struggles in the civil rights movement.
LaNier was one of nine black children who enrolled in previously racially segregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Then-Gov. Orval Faubus tried to prevent the teens from entering the school even though the U.S. Supreme Court had declared segregated schools to be unconstitutional.
“I have found a number of communities did not know about this time in our history, and I discovered anger from young people wanting to know why they didn’t learn” about it, LaNier said.
At the time, LaNier said, she didn’t realize how historic her decision to stay in the school would be.
“We didn’t go to school there to make history,” she said. “We went to school there to get the best education available.
“When you look back on it, I was 14 years of age,” LaNier added. Since then, “I have truly understood that we really did a monumental thing by staying. We weren’t quitters.”
LaNier wasn’t scared on Sept. 4, 1957, when Faubus deployed the Arkansas National Guard to support segregationists who had gathered outside the school.
“Sept. 23 was my day of fear, and that was the day that the 17 policemen could not hold back over 1,000 mobsters who wanted to lynch one of us,” LaNier said. “That day was a very fearful day. I didn’t realize what was going on outside the school.”
On Sept. 24, President Dwight Eisenhower ordered the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock and federalized the Arkansas National Guard, taking it out of Faubus’ control. The next day, the students successfully entered the school.
Although much has changed in the past 54 years, LaNier said she believes desegregation laws are still necessary. The Springfield School District still has a desegregation order in effect.
“I do not think that it makes sense that you lift those measures if you have not succeeded in doing what was really necessary,” LaNier said. “My feeling – and I don’t know the politics in Springfield – I do feel education is still the foundation, is still the key to success.
Source.
Apologies for not fleshing out yesterday's post yet. I haven't been home to New York in a few months and I've been catching up with my personal life. I will do better this week. :).
Previously this month: Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, Day Five, Day Six, Day Seven, Day Eight, Day Nine, Day Ten, Day Eleven, Day Twelve
kitschaster 15th-Feb-2011 06:52 am (UTC)