The Little Rock Nine

I was going to blog more about my experiences with Hairspray rehearsals and the ghost in my apartment (Steve) but I'm still reeling over my visit to Central High School and opted to blog it out now in the hopes that I can sleep.

A good chunk of our cast had the opportunity to tour Central High School, famous for the 1957 segregation controversy and Alma Mater of 'The Little Rock Nine'. The impact of being there in person is something I will never forget.

Before the days of cell phones and Youtube, this school in Little Rock, Arkansas reached global attention as a hot-spot for hostile race relations and political maneuvering at the expense of its children.
In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court had deemed segregated schools unconstitutional (Brown v. Board of Education: Topeka, Kansas) and plans began for the desegregation of previously 'white only' schools in the south.
Nine black students were registered to begin the school year at Central High in 1957. They were Earnest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Jefferson Thomas, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls LaNier, Minnijean Brown, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Thelma Mothershed, and Melba Patillo Beals.

The Governer at the time, Orval Faubus, deployed the Arkansas National Guard to support the segregationists in blocking the black students from entering the school. His rebellion of the new Federal law prompted Eisenhower to order the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army to escort the children to campus; and he federalized the Arkansas National Guard to take it out of the hands of Faubus (aka Douchey McAssHat).

The angry mob of white students, parents, citizens and curious onlookers is memorialized in photos and videos that are now famous in their depiction of 'white vs. black' at a time when segregation was commonplace.

It blows my mind.

The concept of prejudice and exclusion based on race is one that is absolutely foreign to me. I learned about slavery and segregation in school; but even at that time, it seemed as archaic as learning about ancient Greece.

Today, it struck me how RECENT this all was in our history. Merely 50 years ago in our history, we were still treating African Americans as sub-human; associating them as low-income, low-intelligence, undesirables. It makes my heart weep.

I've been hearing (and seeing) a ton about 'bullying' as it is a hot topic in American schools right now. Parents are raising their voices about the ill treatment of their children in places where we give up our rights and responsibilities to school administrators and district title-holders.
It occurred to me today that these nine students could shed a lot of light and wisdom about the lasting scars, having endured the most outrageous and blatant bullying I've ever heard of. And not just at the hands of their peers, but at the hands of parents, teachers, lawmakers... the very individuals that should have had no higher priority but to serve and protect the members of their community. And for God's sake... these were CHILDREN.

I have always maintained that intolerance and prejudice is predominantly learned. I do believe that in the case of the "Little Rock Nine", most of the white students that mistreated their black peers did so because they were taught by their parents and their parents' parents to think or believe certain (incorrect) truths about race and/or social classes.

"Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do."

We also had the amazing opportunity to meet Minnijean Brown (as well as her daughter) and listen to her speak. Her grace and poise was captivating and her words struck my heart.
Indeed, I felt guilty for being white, and throughout the afternoon I kept thinking, "Man, if I went to this school in 1957, it would be a TOTALLY different story!"

But would it?

Minnijean made the statement that the demographic breakdown went something like this, "There were about 100 truly mean and horrible students, about 20 nice ones, and a thousand silent witnesses."

It made me stop and think about any time I witnessed injustice or unfair treatment and said nothing. Any time I saw another human being in pain and just walked by...
I doubted I had ever been truly horrible to anyone besides my brothers... but I had to admit that there have been instances (more than one) in which I'm guilty of having been a silent witness.

It also brought to light how much weight... how much responsibility... how much shame... were put on these kids. Children who were doing nothing more than exercising their right to learn. To LEARN. And what were we teaching them?

I guiltily thought of every time I've ever joked disparagingly about another race in the presence of my kids. I justified it with the fact that I disparage my own race as much (if not more) than any other; and that because my kids are multi-racial themselves, the inclusion of all races, religions, sexual orientations, etc. have been equally accepted in our household as human beings worthy of love, acceptance, respect and tolerance. But even then, I had to check myself. Is there anything I do or say to indicate that anyone shouldn't be treated equally? Good God, I hope not!

I have to admit that I was raised by parents who never inferred or intimated that any race or skin color was better than another. As a kid, I remember wishing that God would make me black so I could sing and dance better, but that was based on my own observations at the time. I also have to admit that I know not every set of parents feels the same way as mine, nor did they raise their children in the same vein of love and fellowship.

It breaks my heart to hear the stories of abuse - both physical and verbal - that these kids endured on a daily basis. And they didn't have one bully or two like most of us did growing up. They had scores of bullies. Some of them the very adults that they were told they must respect and obey.
It is sobering and humbling to know and understand these events as they unfolded. And as I hear about 'culture clashes' and vitriol being spewed at collective groups because they are gay or Muslim or whatever... it is reminiscent of these mistakes of our forefathers.
The past echoes in my head as I wonder if we will ever learn, or if we will continuously repeat the mistakes of the preceding generations with a tendency towards fear and exclusion in an attempt to make our own selves feel special or closer to enlightenment.

My only hope is that I can do my part to correct these mistakes by raising my children to know (not just believe, but KNOW) that the world can only be a wonderful place if you continuously look to the beauty and wonder that it contains. And that includes love and respect for every person, place, animal, vegetable and mineral. There are shitty people within any group or subculture, sure. But no one person represents a collective any more than a collective can adequately represent any one unique individual. Perhaps with another generation or two, we can effectively dilute the hate, the fear and the confusion.

As I left Central High School, the only thought in my head was that the mob back in September of 1957 fancied themselves the majority 'in the right' over these poor, ignorant nine students.... but were instead an example of a truly ignorant majority.
Wake up, nation. It was not that long ago. I wonder how much progress we've actually made since then.

And on that note, I'll leave you with this poem, recommended by Minnijean Brown and penned by Cyrus Cassells for Elizabeth Eckford:

Soul Make a Path Through Shouting

Thick at the schoolgate are the ones
Rage has twisted
Into minotaurs, harpies
Relentlessly swift;
So you must walk past the pincers,
The swaying horns,
Sister, sister,
Straight through the gusts
Of fear and fury,
Straight through:
Where are you going?

I'm just going to school.

Here we go to meet
The hydra-headed day,
Here we go to meet
The maelstrom-

Can my voice be an angel-on-the-spot,
An amen corner?
Can my voice take you there,
Gallant girl with a notebook,
Up, up from the shadows of gallows trees
To the other shore:
A globe bathed in light,
A chalkboard blooming with equations-

I have never seen the likes of you,
Pioneer in dark glasses:
You won't show the mob your eyes,
But I know your gaze,
Steady-on-the-North-Star, burning-

With their jerry-rigged faith,
Their spear on the American flag,
How could they dare to believe
You're someone sacred?:
Nigger, burr-headed girl,
Where are you going?

I'm just going to school.