Movement1957
Little Rock Nine Refused Entry to School
Nine African American students attempted to enter Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas but were blocked by the Arkansas National Guard under orders from Governor Orval Faubus. President Eisenhower would later send the 101st Airborne Division to escort the students.
Why It Matters
The Little Rock crisis was a defining moment in the implementation of Brown v. Board of Education, demonstrating that federal authority would be used to enforce constitutional rights over state resistance to desegregation.