Do You Remember September And Its Two Historic Educational Milestones?

With students back in school, the September traditions of a new academic year have been largely rewritten to accommodate the novel coronavirus. The debate over the merits of virtual learning relative to in-person which began last spring at the outset of the pandemic is ongoing. But, September is known for memorable and historic educational developments that impact Black Americans.

When the Supreme Court ruled that school segregation was unconstitutional in Brown v.  Board of Education, many schools began planning ways to circumvent the law. In Little Rock, however, the district asked Black students interested in attending its largest high school to apply. There were approximately 80 applications, and those students were subjected to robust interviews. The nine who were chosen became known as the “Little Rock Nine.”

The Little Rock Central High School crisis

On September 4, the day they were to start school, the nine students arrived at Central High where an angry mob greeted them. Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus had dispatched the National Guard to prevent them from entering the school. A federal judge ordered Faubus to remove the National Guard, and while Faubus complied, angry Whites continued to harass the students as they attempted to enroll. On September 25, 1957 President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne to Little Rock to escort the students to class, integrating the school and providing protection for the remainder of the semester.

James Meredith and Ole Miss

Five years later the fight to have access to all-White colleges claimed the educational limelight when James Meredith enrolled at the University of Mississippi. Meredith had been studying at the all-Black Jackson State College when the NAACP helped him sue Ole Miss, alleging racial discrimination. In 1962, Meredith won the lawsuit on appeal with a ruling from the Supreme Court. 

Fierce resistance led by Mississippi’s state leaders including Governor Ross Barnett resulted in chaos and riots that left two dead and many others injured. Attorney General Robert Kennedy sent federal troops to Mississippi and federalized the National Guard, which amounted to a federal occupation with 31,000 troops. And, on October 1, 1962, Meredith enrolled at the University. He graduated from Ole Miss the following year.