Hello to all the people who are reading this post. Thanks again for tuning in, to hear about what I’m currently learning about in school (I am still amazed about why you keep coming back, but, oh well).
In this post, I am going to be exploring a topic that is from a very important time in American history and a building block that helped to shape a nation. Currently in class, we have been deeply investigating the Civil Rights Movement that began roughly in the 1950’s. This post is based upon an event that happened in 1957, that branched off from the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court order. It was the introduction of nine African-American high school students, to the all-white Central High School, in Little Rock, Arkansas. These nine young adults were brave, hardworking, and willing to risk their dignity, and even lives, for an equal education. I seriously cannot put myself in their shoes, and have no idea what they must have felt putting everything on the line. These nine were one of the sparks that ignited an integrated education for all Americans. In this post I am setting the scene of a time and place, where equality was misunderstood, and integration was a terrible idea…
Imagine yourself as a fifteen year old from the outcasted and discriminated against population of African-Americans of America. Imagine being part of a large project, in order to test the Brown v. Board of Education court order, of which you and eight other students were to attempt to attend an all-white high school, in the segregated community of Little Rock, Arkansas. And imagine being the only one of the nine students to not have been alerted of the plans to enter the school on the first day; to have been all by yourself amongst a large mob of angry, white supremacists, screaming words of violence and racism in your face. This is what, then, fifteen year old Elizabeth Eckford went through on her first arrival to Central High School, on September 4th, 1957.
I wrote a rather lengthy poem, to tell the story of her arrival at the school. It’s kind of in between an epic poem (Epics are long and narrative poems that normally tell a story about a hero or an adventure.), and an AABB Rhyme Scheme poem (a poem following a rhyme scheme). Enjoy:
Arrival
Elizabeth was fifteen years old and fearless,
On her way to school by bus service.
She walked steadily towards the growing crowd,
Her head held high and the voices getting loud.
White faces sneer and impatiently wait,
To pounce upon their new “Negro” bait.
For the arrival of the lone school girl,
Made the town of Little Rock’s traditions swirl.
Racist name calling and unmistakable threats,
Unnerved Elizabeth and made her sweat.
The guards surrounding the grounds,
Seemed kind and would maybe let her around.
But they were merely protecting the school from her,
And Elizabeth was stuck and around her was a blur.
A kind face was so difficult to find,
No one could see her truly as one of their kind.
Not just their visions were clouded,
But their values and lives were thoroughly guarded.
To protect themselves from what they thought were demons,
But were really only true and passionate humans.
Elizabeth did discover a warm heart in the crowd,
Only after seeking cover in a spot not so loud.
She was eventually returned to the other eight in one piece,
But the crowd ceased to decrease.
Awaiting the nine would be a year of abuse,
But their resilience and strength would be put to good use.
As I was looking at different articles and pictures of the day that Elizabeth Eckford arrived at Central High School, one picture caught my eye. It was one of Elizabeth walking towards the school (I’m pretty sure), surrounded by annoyed and angry-looking white people. What surprised me was that it wasn’t just silly teenagers that were calling her racist things and stepping on her heels, but there were adults there as well. And it seemed as though none of them were going to help her out of the situation, they were giving her disapproving looks, and joining in with the agitated teens.
But the more that I thought about this scene, the more I wanted to know what all these protesters and annoyed people wanted to accomplish. What did they think they could change by shouting in Elizabeth’s face? I think that it had a lot to do with the fact that almost all of the white civilians of the era were brought up with the influence of their parent’s opinions and beliefs that African-Americans were very different, and should be outcasted. It was almost like a tradition, a normal way of living. They didn’t know any other way to feel or act around African-Americans, without protest or violence. They didn’t understand that these people who had “coloured” skin, were only differentiated from the white culture, by just the colour of their skin. So, by acting out against this new court order, this introduction of different people into their lives was a threat to that mob who stood around Elizabeth. They just couldn’t cope with the fact that their lives could be altered so easily, and that is what prompted their aggressive discriminatory behaviour.
The story of the Little Rock Nine was such an emotional excerpt from the whole Civil Rights Movement, and it’s opened my mind to learning so much more and relating to it situations happening in the world today.
Elizabeth Eckford Info
Poem Examples
