Little Rock- picnic ?

Again, another thread inspired by reading a HISTORY TODAY article- which noted that, between BROWN V TOPEKA BOARD OF EDUCATION and 1957, arkansas, as 1 of the states of the upper South with fewer blacks, was actually considered by some as 1 of the better candidates for desegregation to proceed, and indeed, until the furor over Little Rock highschool in 1957, actually experienced desegregation in certain public utilities without any troubles. Now, how could said relatively peaceful desegregation have cont'd in Ark without Little Rock exploding ? WI Gov Faubus had been more decisive against segregation, instead of pandering to the segregationist lobby ?

Also, there was another article in that issue written by an ex Ark NG officer who escorted the 9 students to school during 1957- he stated that, with his men recruited from the n-w counties of the state, some were actually desiring an armed confrontation with federal troops to vent their own frustration at being ordered to assist the process of desregation- which clash of course was averted when the Guardsmen were federalised by Pres Eisenhower. now, WI said clash had occurred between the Ark NG and the 101st Airborne Div troopers sent in before the Guard were federalised ?
 
Again, another thread inspired by reading a HISTORY TODAY article- which noted that, between BROWN V TOPEKA BOARD OF EDUCATION and 1957, arkansas, as 1 of the states of the upper South with fewer blacks, was actually considered by some as 1 of the better candidates for desegregation to proceed, and indeed, until the furor over Little Rock highschool in 1957, actually experienced desegregation in certain public utilities without any troubles. Now, how could said relatively peaceful desegregation have cont'd in Ark without Little Rock exploding ? WI Gov Faubus had been more decisive against segregation, instead of pandering to the segregationist lobby ?

The vast majority of Representatives & Senators from Dixie in the US congress had pledged themselves to the Southern Manifesto in 1956--none of the Arkansas delegation opposed it. Thoughout the South there was an incredible defiance, with state governments threatening to allow their counties to disband the public school system rather than allow integration.

Maybe the federal courts* should have chosen a school in the weakest manifesto states of Tennessee or Texas to desegregate first. Though it mightn't have made a difference.

(Perhaps if they'd chosen a school in Kentucky then any resulting controversy might have driven that state's political establishment into the Dixiecrat camp!)

Melvin Loh said:
Also, there was another article in that issue written by an ex Ark NG officer who escorted the 9 students to school during 1957- he stated that, with his men recruited from the n-w counties of the state, some were actually desiring an armed confrontation with federal troops to vent their own frustration at being ordered to assist the process of desregation- which clash of course was averted when the Guardsmen were federalised by Pres Eisenhower. now, WI said clash had occurred between the Ark NG and the 101st Airborne Div troopers sent in before the Guard were federalised ?

Well, the Battle of Oxford (the 'Ole Miss' University integration in 1962) saw Guardsmen standing by and allowing rednecks to assault and nearly murder a group of US marshals. I can see the same dereliction of duty happening at Little Rock. But I can't see the white supremacists there (civilian or official) seriously attempting to take out elite troops. They were cowards, after all.


*I don't think it was that easy for the SCOTUS or lower courts to pick and choose where the first enforcement would be.
 
Top