In this silent WSB newsfilm clip from October 3, 1957, African American students integrate Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas; white students later leave the school in protest and hang and burn an effigy of a black student. As the clip begins, several African American female students exit a station wagon and walk between police toward the high school. A group of white students is seen walking through the doors of the school and down the front steps. Next, a crowd stands around a tree where an effigy of an African American is hung from one of the branches. Boys tear the effigy and light it on fire. A military police officer takes the effigy down and tries to put the fire out by stomping on it. Finally, the clip ends with Arkansas governor Orval Faubus sitting behind a table with microphones, surrounded by other men. Governor Faubus was at a conference of southern governors in Sea Island, Georgia, during the September 23 integration attempt.

The Little Rock school board voted to integrate the school system in 1957; on September 4, 1957, Governor Faubus ordered Arkansas National Guard troops to prevent African American students--the "Little Rock Nine"--from attending Little Rock Central High School. Federal courts ordered Governor Faubus to remove the troops and permit the nine students to enter the school on September 23, 1957. However, because of the rioting that continued outside, the students were removed from the school after three hours. President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered troops from the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock to restore order and to protect the students. On October 3, a crowd of students walked out of class fifteen minutes after the opening bell and hung and burned the effigy seen here. After a single year of integration, Governor Faubus closed the Little Rock public high schools to avoid further integration. The United States Supreme Court declared Faubus' action illegal and the public schools reopened August 1959.

Title supplied by cataloger.

The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.

1 clip (about 1 min.): black-and-white, silent ; 16 mm.

Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.

WSB-TV newsfilm clip of African American students--the "Little Rock Nine"--integrating Central High School and white students burning an effigy in protest in Little Rock, Arkansas, 1957 October 3, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 0821, 12:28/13:26, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.

Forms part of: Civil Rights Digital Library.