We visited Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site today. It was a real learning experience. We were twelve in 1957 when the Little Rock Nine integrated the school.
We took a tour led by Ranger Toni Webber. She did a great job of telling not only what happened but something about the people involved and the ramifications for the country, but especially for Little Rock. Central High is a very large imposing building, built in 1927 for the white students of Little Rock. It is the only operating school in a National Park site.
My knowledge of the Little Rock Nine was pretty much limited to what was in the national news. Photos of the students being escorted into the school left me with the impression that once they were inside, the story was pretty much over. But for the students and their families, it had only just begun. They were harassed and tormented daily in the most humiliating ways, yet they were required to remain completely non-violent. Some of their families lost jobs.
One interesting point: in 1957, Little Rock and Atlanta had the same population. Many people and businesses left Little Rock as a result of the crisis.
After our tour, we went to the Arkansas State Capitol nearby. There were no tours today, so we took the self-guided tour.
The highlight was a visit to the vault in the State Treasurer's office, where we were allowed to hold $500,000 in $100 bills.
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