Integration in Action

After the Supreme Court ruled that schools must integrate across ethnic and racial (self-created) divides, the difficult work of seeing the decision enacted, especially in states with far more inequity in civil rights, began. The Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas is a reminder of the ongoing battle against bigotry, bias, racism, and hatred.

Although the Supreme Court had already made a decision about integration, the governor of Alabama sought to challenge the federal ruling by not allowing nine Black students to attend the still-segregated high school in 1957. The president intervened, but the wellbeing of the students was still at stake, posing a real threat to their safety and requiring the need for protection.

While integration occurred in schools, equality among students still stands outside of reach in many places today. The fight for equal education, equal opportunities, and equitable recognition and treatment remains an ongoing struggle that calls for relentless attention.