In a massive showing of defiance, Governor Faubus allowed the National Guard to leave Central High School, and left the city himself. Angry white citizens gathered at the school today and total anarchy has resulted.
Just two nights before Governor Faubus was on statewide television explaining the essentialness of the guard being present, and today it is all to evident why. The "Little Rock Nine," as they were dubbed, were forced to leave under police protection.
Fortunately for the Little Rock citizens President Eisenhower has intervened and sent federal troops into the city. Also he nationalized the Arkansas National Guard to keep the students protected. .
The most frightened of the students was a black girl named Elizabeth Ann Eckford. Her and the other 8 black students tried to make it into school today, but were met with angry mobs instead. She recalls having bayonets raised in opposition to her entrance, and the calling of someone threatening to lynch her.
Brown Decision.
In related news, the Supreme Court Decision that overturned segregation, the separation of citizens based on skin color, in schools didn't originate in the south. Actually it originated in Topeka, Kansas. The name of the case was Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. .
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) wanted a school outside of the south to target. The idea was to show this is a national issue. The main complaint was of the father of seven-year-old Linda Brown.
Although the black facilities were relatively equal to those of white, little Linda Brown had to cross a railroad switching yard to catch the bus to her all black school. Why was this a complaint? Only a few blocks away from the Brown residence is an all white school that Linda can't attend. Oral arguments were set more than 4 years ago, December 9, 1952. .
After some waiting the court asked for additional information, but Chief Justice Fred Vinson died suddenly.
