Eyes on the Prize Little Rock Nine

One of the reasons is governor arvo pharmas of Arkansas was a moderate by southern standards, a man the black community had supported. But in his last election, he'd face tough opponents, and he knew he'd need the segregationist vote if he wanted to be reelected. The night before school opened, four of us made a decision. I have therefore in accordance. With the solemn responsibility and the oath of my office, taken the following action. Units of the National Guard have been and are now being mobilized with the mission to maintain our restore, the peace and good order of this community. Advance units are already on duty on the grounds of central high school. The Arkansas National Guard ring with the school with orders to admit only the white students. It shocked the country. State troops were now being used to prevent enforcement of federal law. At the center of the crisis where these 9 teenagers selected by the school board because of their excellent grades. The first day, 8 of the 9 went to school together, accompanied by their parents administers. They expected some harassment, but no real trouble. You could cut it with the knives, the tension outside of the school, where these people who had come in from other parts of the state, other states, there were license plates from all other states that weren't there, people who had come in and were outside our school. The 8 children and the adults with them were turned away by the National Guard. The 9th student, Elizabeth eckford, had missed the call to gather with the others before school. Elizabeth eckford walked alone and met a mob. Can you tell me your name, please? Are you going to go to school here at central high? Don't get to say anything, is that right? This girl here was the first Negro apparently of high school age to show all the temporal high school the day that a federal court ordered it integrated. She was following some of the school by an angry crowd, many of them shouting epithets at her. Wow, it has to be the most frightening thing. I mean, because she had a crowd of white people behind her, threatening to kill her. She had nobody. I mean, that was not a black face and saint anywhere. Nobody was she could turn to as a friend except that this woman came out of the crowd. And guided her through the mob and onto the bus. And got her home safely. The black parents and the NAACP went back to court. The leader of the state organization, daisy Bates, became the student's strongest supporter. The national NAACP saw this case as a showdown for desegregation, and they assisted the local lawyers. What we consider this case in fortune as one of the segregation cases, but in addition to the fact that this one involved the appearance of the National Guard on the scene and for the first time in any of our cases, it's the action for the government that eventually will have to be brought in front, then you see it as a safe federal conflict of our power. One of these questions about that. The question was whether the federal government would assert its authority. The pressure on the president increase defiance of federal law seemed to be spreading. From Little Rock, here to North Little Rock, to Nashville, Tennessee, and to Charlotte, North Carolina. Some people blamed Eisenhower for this resistance, saying his lack of leadership on civil rights to encourage the extremists. President position was that he was the president of all the people he felt that his role is to talk to the moderates throughout the country, including the southern states. He felt that and was told by many advisers that governor fathers could be reasoned with and that an amicable solution could be found in the Little Rock crisis. In mid September, the president and the governor had a meeting at Eisenhower's vacation home in Newport, Rhode Island. The president thought that he had persuaded governor fathers to go back and allow the black children to enter the high school of peaceably. And it was quite a surprise to him that he felt let down when governor fathers would decided against law and they like children to end in the high school. Eisenhower had convinced faubus that ultimately the state could not resist federal authority. Thomas changed his tactic. He simply removed the National Guard, leaving only city police in an explosive situation, as the Little Rock 9 entered central high school. Entered the side of the building. Thousands of people are front. And we were entering the site and I could just get a glimpse of this group and I'm going to car I could hear on the car radio. I could hear that there was a mob. And I knew the mob met. And I knew that the sounds that came for the crowd were very angry. So we entered the side of the building very, very fast. We just got a point here on this end that the students are in. And you can see from here, saw the action occurring down there. I didn't know. But Julia represented the black crest that was all and we were on the mall in front of the school and the world got two crowd outside that the niggas are in the school. Then they said to us, do you come out here as a decoy and then other people slipping into the side of this room? So I said, hell no. Just see. The crowd turned on hicks. And on his companions, Moses Newsom and Alex Wilson. Somebody had a brick in his hand and instead of throwing the brick because he was too close, he hit Alex Wilson up beside his head with this brick. Claire Wilson was more than 6 feet tall and exploring he went down like a tree. The mob was getting past the wooden saw horse because it was no longer fight their own in order to protect us. And so someone made a suggestion that if they allowed the mob to hang one kid, they couldn't get the rest out. And a gentleman whom I believed to be your assistant chief police said, how are you going to choose? You're going to learn to Australia. He said, I'll get them out, and we will take them to the basement of this place. And we will put it into two cars, grayish, blue colored boards. And the man instructor that we said, once you start driving, do not stop. The rioting was headline news. The nation and the world saw unmistakably the face of resistance. Finally, president Eisenhower realized he had to act, and he did quickly. That night, he sent on the paratroopers of the 101st airborne division. An extreme situation has been created in Little Rock. This challenge must be met and with such measures as will preserve to the people as a whole, they are willfully protected rights. If resistance to the federal court order ceases at once, the further presence of federal troops will be unnecessary. And if black upon an affair name and high honor of our nation in the world will be removed. My rule can not be allowed to override the decisions of our courts.