We Remember-50 Years Later

An icon of the Civil Right Movement will be observed this year.
So for those of y'all that were around and may have forgotten
the details and those who were twinkles in your parents eyes
lets take a stroll back in time when things were quite different
for non-whites.


On Sept. 23, 1957, nine black high school students were greeted by an angry mob of more than 1,000 Little Rock residents protesting the integration of Little Rock Central High School. Before long, police had to escort the students to safety . This fall, Little Rock will celebrate the 50th anniversary of that pivotal moment. We asked Eddie Gonzalez, a senior program director for the National Park Foundation, to give us the lowdown on the anniversary.

WHEN: Sept. 23, with events leading up to the anniversary throughout the year.

THE BACK STORY: For nearly five decades, Little Rock Central High School has been an icon of the civil rights movement.
In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Over the next few years, schools across the country developed plans for integration; for Little Rock, high schools were to integrate by September 1957. But a few weeks before school was to begin, the governor ordered the Arkansas National Guard to prohibit

African American students from entering Central High.
The governor's orders were overturned by a federal judge, but public opinion was still strongly against integration. With the arrival of the first day of school, Central High became a part of history.

THE SCHOOL: In addition to being part of the National Park Service, Central High (above) is a fully operating high school with more than 2,300 students. If you visit today, you'll see that the school looks much as it did 50 years ago. Across the street, the Park Service has turned a Mobil gas station into an interim visitor center; it offers ranger-led programs, interpretive displays and publications, exhibits and programs.





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Get your copy of the award winning King:
"From Atlanta to the Mountain top.
"It's the 3-Hour Docudrama that tells
the story of the Civil Rights movement
and the life of its Drum Major for Peace,
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.To learn more
and hear excerpts from this treasured
program,click here:
http://www.kingprogram.net/
Posted by iloveeur at 11:20