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Little Rock
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On September 3, 1957 the Federal District Judge of Little Rock Ronald
Davies ordered that the desegregation of blacks at Central High School
should begin at the next day, since in 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court had
decided that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.
On the following day the nine black students, who had been selected for
the first year of integration at Central, wanted to enter Central High
but were turned away by the National Guard, which should preserve law and
order as Governor Orval Faubus claimed. Judge Davies ruled that Faubus had used the troops to prevent integration. Consequently the Governor
had to replace the National Guard by the Little Rock Police Departement.
On September 23, 1957 the nine black students went into Central High through
a side door to receive their class assignments. But since the police feared
they would be unable to maintain control, the black students were taken
out of school again. The next day Little Rock Mayor Woodrow Mann demanded
federal troops from President Eisenhower, who sent 1000 members of the 101st
Airbone Divison to Little Rock to escort the nine black students back into
Central High on September 25, 1957.
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