Elizabeth Eckford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth Eckford
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Eckford, age 15, pursued by a mob, with Hazel Massery, age 15, directly behind, at Little Rock Central High School on the first day of the school year on September 4, 1957
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Elizabeth Ann Eckford
October 4, 1941 Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
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| Movement | Civil rights movement |
| Children | 2 (1 deceased) |
| Parent(s) | Oscar and Birdie Eckford |
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Elizabeth Ann Eckford (born October 4, 1941) is a brave American who played a key role in the Civil rights movement. She is famous as one of the Little Rock Nine. This was a group of nine African American students. In 1957, they were the first Black students to attend classes at Little Rock Central High School. This school in Little Rock, Arkansas, had only allowed white students before.
This important change happened because of a 1954 ruling by the United States Supreme Court. The ruling, called Brown v. Board of Education, said that separate schools for Black and white students were against the law.
On September 4, 1957, Elizabeth Eckford's experience was captured by news photographers. She was stopped from entering the school by the Arkansas National Guard. A powerful photo by Will Counts showed Elizabeth, then 15, being followed and threatened by an angry crowd. This and other photos of that day's events were seen all over the United States and the world. They showed everyone the challenges faced by these students.
Will Counts' photo was considered for a 1958 Pulitzer Prize. Another photo by Counts showed Alex Wilson, a Black reporter, being attacked by the crowd. This image helped convince President Dwight D. Eisenhower to send federal troops to Little Rock.
Elizabeth Eckford only spent one year at Little Rock Central High. She and the other Black students faced many difficult times there. The tough experiences she faced had a lasting impact on her. She bravely worked through these challenges in the years that followed.
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The Little Rock Nine's First Day
On September 4, 1957, Elizabeth Eckford and eight other African American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, tried to enter Little Rock Central High School. The school had been segregated, meaning Black and white students were kept separate. An angry crowd of about 400 people surrounded the school that day. The Arkansas National Guard also stood by, seemingly allowing the crowd's actions.
Elizabeth's Brave Walk
Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Eckford tried to walk into the school. But soldiers from the National Guard, following orders from Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, blocked her path. She eventually gave up and tried to walk to a bus stop. The angry crowd of people who supported segregation surrounded her. They shouted threats and tried to harm her.
When Elizabeth reached the bus stop, she was very upset and cried. A reporter named Benjamin Fine sat with her to comfort her. Soon, a white woman named Grace Lorch also helped her. She walked Elizabeth to a city bus to keep her safe.
A Change in Plans
The original plan was for the nine students to arrive at school together. However, the meeting place was changed the night before. Elizabeth's family did not have a telephone, so she did not get the message. Daisy Bates, a strong leader for desegregation, had told the students to wait for her. They were supposed to walk together to a side entrance of the school.
Because of this last-minute change, Elizabeth was the first to arrive alone. She walked to the front entrance by herself. Elizabeth wore a neat black-and-white dress and sunglasses. She carried her school book. As she walked, she saw many armed guards and a large crowd. She did not see any other Black faces. The crowd included adults and white teenagers who were against integration. The white teenagers chanted, "Two, four, six, eight, we ain't gonna integrate." Elizabeth tried to enter the school but was blocked.
She walked to a bus bench at the end of the block.
Even though Elizabeth Eckford would become known as a member of the Little Rock Nine, on that day, she was completely alone. This made her the first African American student to try to integrate a white high school in the South by herself.
President Eisenhower Steps In
For the next two weeks, the Little Rock Nine stayed home to study. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was at first slow to act about the mob and the unrest. After Elizabeth Eckford's difficult experience, Eisenhower called Governor Orval Faubus. He asked the governor to remove all troops from the high school.
On September 23, 1957, the Little Rock Nine tried to enter Central High again. This time, Elizabeth Eckford and the other eight students were with city policemen. They were let into the high school through a side door. The crowd reacted with great anger.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower then took strong action. He used a special law called the Insurrection Act of 1807. The next day, he took control of the Arkansas National Guard from the governor. He also sent the 101st Airborne Division, a group of federal soldiers, to protect the students. Both federal troops and federalized National Guardsmen stayed at the school for the entire school year. They helped protect the students, but some incidents of violence still happened inside the school. For example, Elizabeth Eckford was once pushed down a flight of stairs.
All of Little Rock's high schools were closed the following year. Because of this, Elizabeth did not graduate from Central High School. However, she took classes by mail and at night. She earned enough credits to get her high school diploma. In 1958, Elizabeth Eckford and the rest of the Little Rock Nine received the Spingarn Medal. This award was given by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Life After High School
Elizabeth Eckford was accepted into Knox College in Illinois. But she chose to return to Little Rock to be close to her family. She later attended Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. There, she earned a degree in history. In 2018, Knox College gave Elizabeth an honorary doctorate degree.
Elizabeth Eckford served in the United States Army for five years. She worked as a pay clerk and then as an information specialist. She also wrote for army newspapers. After her time in the army, she worked in different jobs. These included being a waitress, a history teacher, and a probation officer in Little Rock.
In 1997, she received the Father Joseph Biltz Award. She shared this award with Hazel Bryan Massery. Hazel was a white student at Central High School who had been part of the angry crowd in 1957. She was seen screaming at Elizabeth in several famous photos. During a special event in 1997, the two women spoke together. However, their friendship later ended. Elizabeth explained that Hazel wanted her to be "cured and be over it." In 1999, President Bill Clinton gave the nation's highest civilian award, the Congressional Gold Medal, to the members of the Little Rock Nine.
Later Years and Recognition
On November 19, 2022, Elizabeth Eckford spoke at a special ceremony. This event was for the new attack submarine USS Arkansas (SSN-800). She and other members of the Little Rock Nine etched their initials onto metal plates. These plates were then welded onto the submarine. They will stay on the submarine throughout its life. Elizabeth Eckford said that President Eisenhower's decision to send troops to Little Rock made it possible for them to enter Central High School. She said she has "very high regard for specially trained forces" ever since.
In 2018, 60 years after her time at Little Rock Central High, Elizabeth Eckford shared her story in her first autobiography. The book is called The Worst First Day: Bullied While Desegregating Little Rock Central High. She wrote it with Dr. Eurydice Stanley and Grace Stanley. Grace was 15 years old when she worked on the book, the same age Elizabeth was when she went to Central High. The book tells Elizabeth's experiences in a poetic way. It includes artwork by Rachel Gibson and photos by Will Counts. In 2019, Elizabeth Eckford traveled to New Zealand. She taught American civil rights history to over 4,000 students there.
Media Portrayals
Elizabeth Eckford's story has been told in movies and TV shows. Actress Lisa Marie Russell played Elizabeth in the Disney Channel movie The Ernest Green Story (1993). .....
See also
In Spanish: Elizabeth Eckford para niños
