Grace Lorch facts for kids

Grace Lonergan Lorch (born around 1903, died 1974) was a brave teacher and a champion for civil rights. She is best known for helping the Little Rock Nine. These were nine African American students who helped integrate a high school in Arkansas.

Early Life and Fight for Teachers' Rights

Grace was a teacher in Boston. She led the Boston Teachers Union. This group worked to improve conditions for teachers. She was also part of the Boston Central Labour Council.

In 1943, Grace Lonergan married Lee Lorch. At that time, Boston schools had an old rule. It said female teachers had to quit if they got married. Grace had been a teacher for 20 years. But because of this rule, she was fired.

Grace fought against this unfair rule. The school committee kept the rule in 1944. But her case made many people aware of the issue. A campaign started to end the ban. Nine years later, in 1953, the rule was finally changed. Married women could now be teachers in Boston.

Fighting for Equality in Housing

The Lorches were active in the civil rights movement. This movement worked for equal rights for all people. In the 1940s and 1950s, they lived in Stuyvesant Town in New York City. This was a large housing area.

The Lorches fought to make sure people of all races could live there. They invited a Black family to stay in their apartment as guests. This brought attention to the unfair housing rules. Because of this, Lee Lorch lost his job as a math professor.

The Lorch family then moved to the South. Lee found work at colleges that were mainly for Black students. They eventually settled in Little Rock, Arkansas.

A Request for School Integration

Soon after moving to Little Rock, Grace Lorch wrote a letter. She asked if her eleven-year-old daughter, Alice, could go to the local school. "Since we live at 1801 High Street, located in a Negro neighborhood, this would be a Negro school," she wrote. She hoped it would help with integrating Little Rock schools. But her request was not approved.

Helping the Little Rock Nine

In 1957, the Lorches were part of the Little Rock branch of the NAACP. This group worked for civil rights. They were very involved in the struggle to integrate Little Rock Central High School. This meant allowing Black students to attend the school with white students.

On the first day of school, the nine Black students were supposed to arrive together. But fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Eckford did not get this message. She arrived alone. She faced an angry crowd that threatened to harm her.

Grace Lorch had just dropped off her own daughter at another school nearby. She saw Elizabeth in trouble. Grace bravely went to Elizabeth. She helped Elizabeth escape the crowd and took her home safely.

Facing Challenges for Their Actions

Grace Lorch's brave act made her family a target. Someone put dynamite in their garage. They were bothered by the news and in the community. Alice faced bullying at school. Grace was even called to answer questions by a government group.

By 1959, Lee Lorch found it hard to find work because of their activism. The family moved to Canada. Grace Lorch passed away there in 1974.