Little Rock Nine

Little Rock Nine

A group of nine African American students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957.

Brown v. Board of Education

The Supreme Court decision (1954) that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Governor Orval Faubus

The Arkansas governor who called in the National Guard to block the Little Rock Nine from entering Central High School.

National Guard

Military force called by Governor Faubus to prevent the integration of the Little Rock Nine into Central High School.

101st Airborne Division

The military unit sent by President Eisenhower to protect the Little Rock Nine during their integration into Central High School.

September 4, 1957

The date when the Little Rock Nine attempted to enter Central High School and faced violent protests.

Impact of the Little Rock Nine

Drew national attention to the Civil Rights Movement and helped challenge segregation in schools across the South.

Legacy of the Little Rock Nine

Celebrated as heroes in the struggle for civil rights and symbols of the fight against racism and for equality in the U.S.

Civil Rights Movement

A movement aimed at ending racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans in the United States.

Integration

The process of bringing together people of different races in public spaces, including schools.