Little Rock, Arkansas, 1957-'59
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Related TeachingBooks.net resources »»» By Daryl Grabarek, Curriculum Connections--School Library Journal In Little Rock Girl 1957: How a Photograph Changed the Fight for Integration (Compass Point, 2012; Gr 6 Up), Shelley Tougas tells the story of the students that came to be known as the Little Rock Nine through the iconic photograph that shocked a nation and a world. The author begins by describing the events of September 4, 1957, and the experience of Elizabeth Eckford, the young African-American woman whose image is seared into our national memory, and the fate of the other eight students that day. Later chapters discuss how the events in Little Rock also "tested the federal government's authority over state and local government" and provide background on school segregation and Brown v. Board of Education, the photographer Will Counts, and individuals whose role in the events in Little Rock (Governor Orval E. Faubus, Thurgood Marshall, and Daisy Gatson Bates) are well known. The slim volume is filled with large black-and-white photos. Tougus makes it clear that once in the school, the Little Rock Nine continued to be harassed. Ernest Green, a senior during the 1957-8 school year, was the only one of the nine to graduate from Little Rock Central High School. During the years that followed, the remaining eight students left the school to continue their educations elsewhere. In Levine's book, Marlee's older sister, Judy, is sent away to attend high school while the battle over integration continues at home. Twelve-year-old Marlee is so shy that she finds speaking painful, and sets herself daily goals such as "speaking a complete sentence." But seventh grade begins on a hopeful note for the socially uncomfortable girl; a new student in school, Liz, seeks her friendship, and JT, a handsome and flirtatious classmate, requests her help with math. Then, suddenly, Liz stops coming to school and rumors have it that she is black. Marlee struggles with her reaction to the news and is horrified at the bigotry of her classmates. Though the two girls want to continue their friendship, even being seen together jeopardizes their safety. As the school year progresses, the adults in the town become more divided as they weigh segregation against school closings. Like Marlee, who has found her voice through the help of her new friend, the integrationists become vocal as they form committees and campaigns to counter the activities and actions of the segregationist community. In Levine's historical novel, students will recognize the names of Governor Orval E. Fabus and Daisy Gatson Bates, introduced in Little Rock 1957. Begin by sharing Little Rock 1957 with your students. Ask them about their impressions of the book's cover photo, and then offer some background on when it was taken and by whom. Discuss other photos in the book and the impact they had across the country. Once your students are familiar with the Central High story, booktalk or read aloud Kristen Levine's novel. Ask them how they think they would have reacted as members of this community and why. Discuss peer pressure and crowd mentality. Have they ever been pressured into behaviors or attitudes they felt uncomfortable with? Consider what happens when the white community of Little Rock is forced to examine their attitude toward integration and take a stand. Would the previously neutral members of the white community have taken a stand if the education of their children was not at risk? Students are likely to be interested to learn what became of the Little Rock Nine. Tougas provides that information, as well as a photo of a reunion of the group that took place in 1997 at anniversary ceremony, and another of a meeting years later, of Hazel Byran Massery, the white student seen screaming at 15-year old Elizabeth Eckford in Will Counts's historic photo. For other novel and nonfiction titles on the topic, read Rhona Campbell's "Growing Up in Segregated America." Related TeachingBooks.net resources »»» This article originally appeared in School Library Journal's enewsletter Curriculum Connections. Subscribe here.
In September 1957, images from the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, of nine African-American students selected to integrate a public school, the National Guardsmen that turned the teens away, and the crowds that taunted them, made the front pages of newspapers around the world. It wasn't until three weeks later, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock to enforce a court order to integrate the school, that the crowds that had been gathering daily were effectively dispersed and the students were able to enter Little Rock Central High School. Two 2012 titles—one nonfiction, one fiction—offer insight into what happened in Arkansas.
Despite the fact that Little Rock's high schools had been integrated in the fall of 1957, a judge granted a spring 1958 school board request to delay integration. The U.S. Supreme Court stepped in and ordered it to continue as scheduled. At this point, Arkansas Governor Orval E. Faubus closed Little Rock's high schools, and this is where Kristin Levine's novel, The Lions of Little Rock (Putnam, 2012; Gr 5-8), opens.
