I don’t
really have a bucket list, but I do have an idea in the back of my mind of
places I’d like to visit. Little Rock,
Arkansas, has been on this list for quite some time. I didn’t make it there on my Retirement Road
Trip, my seven-week solo trip across the country in 2005. Tim and I didn’t make it there on our
nine-month Road Trip Ramble.
When we
decided to backtrack to Arkansas, Little Rock was one place I was determined to
visit.
Tim and
I left Hot Springs on Sunday, December 7, and arrived in Little Rock an hour later. Our first stop was Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site. This site
had been on my radar for quite some time, but I especially wanted to stop here
after visiting Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in October.
In
September 1957 Little Rock Central High School became the site of the first
important test of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of
Education that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Nine African American students, known as the “Little
Rock Nine,” attempted to enter the all-white school, only to be turned away by
the Arkansas National Guard under the orders of Governor Orval Faubus. This defiance of the Supreme Court ruling led
President Dwight D. Eisenhower to send in Army troops to protect and escort the
students for the entire school year. Eisenhower
thus became the first president since Reconstruction to use federal troops to
enforce civil rights.
Little Rock Central High School is still an operating high school and is not open except by guided tour. Unfortunately tours are not offered on the weekend, but the park’s visitor center provides excellent exhibits that tell the story of the fight to desegregate public schools, as well as the continuing struggle for equal rights. I thought I was knowledgeable about the events at Little Rock, but there was so much I didn’t know.
Here I discovered the impact of the news media on the events at Little Rock and how the media focused the world’s attention on Central High School. Television news was in its infancy then, and the crisis at Little Rock was one of the first news stories filmed as events occurred. Powerful images were shown around the world, and it was these photographs that helped to spur President Eisenhower to act. It was fascinating to listen to news commentator Mike Wallace as he explained the role of the media, as well as to read the sometimes conflicting headlines from local, national and international newspapers.
Crisis at Central High |
"I Got Up Every Morning, Polished My Saddle Shoes, and Went Off to War." |
News Reports Were Broadcast from the Magnolia Mobil Service Station |
I had
an interesting conversation with a young ranger who told me the National Park
Service tries to present all sides of the story, including the misguided
convictions of the people of Little Rock who tried to prevent the students from
attending the school. How hard that must
be.
After
leaving the visitor center, Tim and I walked across the street to get a closer
look at the school. Although the school
is known more for the historic events that occurred there, I was also able to
appreciate Central High School as a magnificent piece of architecture. It is a huge school that houses more than
2,000 students, and it reminded me a bit of the high school I attended in
Baltimore.
Little Rock Central High School |
A Beautiful School |
Tim and
I ended our visit with a walk through the Commemorative Garden, a quiet place
to reflect on the triumph over intolerance. While sitting there, I asked Tim if he would
have had the courage to face what the Little Rock Nine suffered throughout their
entire school year. He answered, “Not
with the grace which they displayed as they endured that torment.” I’m not sure I would have had the courage in
the first place. They were just kids and
had to withstand what most adults could never imagine. I so admire their courage and their conviction.
Commemorative Garden - A Place for Reflection |
After a
thought-provoking visit to Central High School, Tim and I stopped at the
Arkansas State Capitol. Since it was not
open, we headed down to the River Market district for a bite to eat. This area is located along the Arkansas River
and is downtown Little Rock’s dining, shopping and entertainment district. I was a bit surprised that there were so few
people on the street on a Sunday afternoon, but the restaurants were open and we
did enjoy a great pizza.
Arkansas State Capitol |
River Market District |
Just
across the river was our destination for the next two nights – the Downtown
Riverside RV Park in North Little Rock. The
campground is not much more than a gravel parking lot, but its location was
priceless for us. All sites have a view
of the Arkansas River, and the park is located on the Arkansas River trail. Next to
the park is a pedestrian bridge that leads to the Clinton Presidential Center.
This meant that we could leave the RV
behind and walk everywhere, or take the electric streetcar. We couldn’t ask for much more than that. An added bonus was the nighttime illumination of the downtown bridges.
Holiday Lightng Installation on the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge |
Where did you go to school in Baltimore Sarah? Central High does seem large for where it is. The history must have been sobering. Love the lights on the bridges. LV
ReplyDeleteI went to Eastern High School, the same school that Marguerite attended. I can't remember if was in the same building, however, since the school did move a few times. Which school did your mother attend?
DeleteIt was a great high school, and also huge like Central High. Eastern was one of two all-female public schools in the city, and there were also two all-male schools. That was quite unusual. I was happy to find out that Johns Hopkins University recently purchased and restored the school, thus sparing it from demolition.
My mom went to Eastern too! You'd have to ask her where it was located then. She just recently hooked up with a lady who lives a couple of miles from her who went there too! It's a small world. ha ha That is really nice that Hopkins did that! Hope you all are staying warm. Love, LV
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