The Little Rock Nine

The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine African American students who, in September 1957, became symbols of the Civil Rights Movement by integrating Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Their enrollment was a landmark test of the 1954 Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregated public schools unconstitutional.

The Nine Students
Recruited by Daisy Gaston Bates, president of the Arkansas NAACP, the students were selected for their academic excellence and emotional strength:

Ernest Green: The only senior; the first of the group to graduate in 1958.
Elizabeth Eckford: Famous for the iconic photo of her walking alone through a screaming mob.
Minnijean Brown: Later expelled for retaliating against severe harassment from white students.
Terrence Roberts: Went on to become a psychologist and university professor.
Carlotta Walls LaNier: The youngest of the group; graduated from Central in 1960.
Jefferson Thomas: An outstanding track star; graduated from Central in 1960 (deceased 2010).
Melba Pattillo Beals: Author of the famous memoir Warriors Don’t Cry.
Gloria Ray Karlmark: Became a patent attorney and magazine publisher.
Thelma Mothershed-Wair: Completed her graduation via correspondence courses despite the school’s closure.

Key Events of the 1957 Crisis
State Obstruction: On September 4, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus deployed the Arkansas National Guard to block the students from entering the school.
Federal Intervention: Following a tense standoff and mob violence, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10730. He federalized the National Guard and sent 1,000 paratroopers from the 101st Airborne Division to escort the students.
The Integration: On September 25, 1957, the students successfully entered for their first full day of classes under military protection.
The “Lost Year”: In 1958, rather than continue integration, Governor Faubus closed all Little Rock high schools for the entire academic year.

Today, the school is the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, the only functioning high school located within a National Park unit.

LINKS 

 

 

GETTY IMAGES

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/central-high-school-integration 

http://en.wikipedia.orghttp://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=723https://littlerockninelegacy.weebly.com/who-were-the-little-rock-nine.html

https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/little-rock-nine 

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/central-high-school-integration#section_5

https://www.blackhistory.com/2021/07/daisy-bates-civil-rights-founder-first-black-newspaper-helped-desegregate-schools.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+black-history+%28BlackHistory.com%29.   

https://dippermouth.blogspot.com/2017/09/louis-armstrong-and-little-rock-60.html  

https://ideastream.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/jazz18-ss-armstrong/the-jazz-ambassadors-louis-armstrong-and-the-civil-rights-movement/ 

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/from-little-rock-to-george-floyd-a-poem-for-the-protests-the-boogaloos-pride-during-a-pandemic-and-more-1.5598305/why-terrence-roberts-still-fights-for-civil-rights-63-years-after-the-little-rock-nine-1.5598450

https://www.kmov.com/news/little-rock-nine-members-question-how-far-weve-come-63-years-after-they-broke-a/article_79a1f5b7-d12a-57d1-9832-71a1f81a878f.html

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/07/us/little-rock-nine-question-progress-after-george-floyd/index.html  

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/nov/30/jerry-jones-little-rock-and-the-photo-the-cowboys-owner-juked-for-decades?fbclid=IwAR04WswYHFWPku3l5vR_GfVP1mTiX-63PPdrgParPQ8QuUheI1lk_bAkyHU 

Margolick, David (2011). Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-17835-7.

Jump up to: a b c d e Margolick, David (September 2007). “Through a Lens, Darkly”. Vanity Fair. Retrieved 15 May 2015

Margolick, David (2011). Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock. Yale University Press. pp. 60–62 – via Internet Archive.

Blakemore, Erin (September 1, 2017). “The Story Behind the Famous Little Rock Nine ‘Scream Image'”.

History.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.^ Jump up to: a b c Margolick, David (October 9, 2011). “Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan: th

https://desegregationofeducation.wordpress.com/artwork/

 

https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/little-rock/little-rock-nine-central-high-68th-anniversary/91-4c0e6afd-3ae5-4d06-a788-c582310f422a?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_THV11&fbclid=IwY2xjawMoUZBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFEOFB2WjR6OHN0WDlIcUdWAR71UB0svR6VuftN2Ri7dzcupdWkqMbP7Z0sO_xT-Hz87wtUMdlY_7YgUSa3fQ_aem_Vh1mTdAgOeuPlYxexsIBzQ

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ARCHIVIST, EDUCATOR, HISTORIAN, and ARTiST
Dale Ricardo Shields is highly accomplished African American actor, director, producer, and educator with a distinguished career in theatre and academia.

Here's a summary of his background and achievements:

Early Life and Family:
Born on November 4, 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio.
His family has a strong musical background; his grandfather and father were founding members of the Shields Brothers Gospel Quartet of Ohio, and his mother was part of the Turner Gospel Singers.
He is a cousin of boxing promoter Don King.
Education:
Graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1970.
Holds both a BFA (1975) and MFA (1995) from Ohio University.

Career and Contributions
Theatre Professional:
Actor: Has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, and in regional productions. His television credits include The Cosby Show, Another World, Guiding Light, Saturday Night Live, and the ITV series Special Needs. He has also appeared in commercials and films.
Director and Stage Manager: Has extensive professional credits in these roles, including projects at Lincoln Center, The Henry Street Settlement House (New Federal Theatre), The Negro Ensemble Company, and The Joseph Papp Public Theatre.
Assistant Director: Served as assistant to Lloyd Richards and assistant director for the New Federal Theatre premiere of Ossie Davis's play A Last Dance With Sybil starring Ruby Dee and Earl Hyman.

Educator:
Professor: He is a Professor of Acting, Directing, Black Theatre, Black Studies, and Stage Management. He has taught at various institutions, including Ohio University, The College of Wooster, Denison University, Macalester College, Susquehanna University (as artist-in-residence), and SUNY Potsdam.
Workshops and Programs: Conducted workshops for Joseph Papp's Playwriting in the Schools Program (PITS) at The Public Theatre for six seasons and represented the United States at the ASSITEJ Theatre Festival in London, England, in 1988.
Artistic Activist and Historian:

Iforcolor.org: Creator and archivist for the Black History website Iforcolor.org, dedicated to preserving and sharing information about African Americans and artists of color. He also maintains the "Black Theatre/African American Voices" website on Facebook.
Project1VOICE Liaison: Serves as the Project1VOICE Liaison for the state of Ohio, directing "One Play One Day" events in Cleveland since 2011.

Awards and Recognition:
The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award: Recipient in 2017.
Paul Robeson Award: Recipient in 2021 (jointly presented by the Actors' Equity Association and Actors' Equity Foundation).
AUDELCO/"VIV" Special Achievement Award: Received in 2017.
Tony Award Nominee: Nominated for the "Excellence in Theatre Education Award" in 2015 and 2017.
Ebony Bobcat Network (EBN) Legend Award: Received from Ohio University in 2022.
ENCORE AWARD / The Actors Fund: Received in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024.
Outstanding Professor Awards: Has received two of these and three "Educational Program of the Year" awards as a university professor.
The HistoryMakers archives: Interviewed and included in The HistoryMakers archives, permanently housed in the Library of Congress.
Dale Ricardo Shields is recognized for his profound impact on the lives of his students and his unwavering dedication to preserving and promoting Black theatre history and culture.