%20many%20schools%20refused%20to%20actually%20integrate.%20The%20reason%20this%20law%20was%20passed%20was%20not%20the%20segregation%20itself,%20but%20that%20the%20resources%20went%20to%20all%20White%20schools%20and%20neglected%20the%20Black%20ones%20--%20leaving%20Black%20children%20left%20behind.%20Integration%20had%20to%20happen...and%20slowly%20it%20did...%20In%201957,%20The%20Little%20Rock%20Nine%20integrated%20in%20Arkansas.%20The%20situation%20received%20national%20attention.%20Schools%20across%20the%20nation%20saw%20what%20was%20going%20to%20happen,%20so%20rather%20than%20adjusting%20to%20the%20inevitable,%20counties%20began%20taking)
Bet they didn’t teach you this in schools.
After the 1954 Brown vs Board of Education ruling (which ruled school segregation unconstitutional) many schools refused to actually integrate. The reason this law was passed was not the segregation itself, but that the resources went to all White schools and neglected the Black ones — leaving Black children left behind.
Integration had to happen…and slowly it did…
In 1957, The Little Rock Nine integrated in Arkansas. The situation received national attention. Schools across the nation saw what was going to happen, so rather than adjusting to the inevitable, counties began taking matters into own hands.
Finally in 1959, after the Supreme Court ordered all schools must segregate, Prince Edward County in Virginia became the first county in the U.S. to close all its schools for good as a method of protest.
As a result, White children went to publicly aided private schools while Black children went to free schools staffed by volunteers.
This would happen for 5 years until the Supreme Court again ordered all schools opened to all. However, 90% of whites stayed in private schools.
This clip shows a whites-only prom off-campus in a private club.
Check this clip. Via reelblack/youtube.
In small town Whigham GA 1968, Washington high school in Cairo Ga was reduced to a Middle school , I lived in rural area of Cairo Ga , closer to Whigham High.
Racism bigotry and Hate , on the school bus and the school daily, I will never forget on those cool Fall September morning before I got on the bus and when we got to Home room class roll call, The windows were down , the Racist of them all would say ( keep the Windows open for air cause it it smell like a N….. or coons in here , only one Black could travel on the Basketball team , we had separate Locker room, every thing was Separate.
As bad as it was I survived , we survived all 13 of us, you had to Study, keep up . We were taught Black history in that environment , the Civil War, I finished high school in 1972 join the NAVY . A very difficult part in my life , Dealing with Racism in Middle school and early in the NAVY .
Wow…talk about something that should be required viewing for any high school classroom. My god. This is a stunning documentary on so many levels.