This one goes out to everyone who thinks one or two people can’t make a difference…
A Man You Should Know
Someone pretty important passed away on September 5, 2010. It was Jefferson Thomas. There probably are not many people who know that name, but without him and eight other persistent young people our high schools may be very different than they are today.
Jefferson Thomas volunteered to attend Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957 as an end to segregation. He was fifteen years old. One might think this would be an arduous task, but let me fill you in if you are unaware of how the events really unfolded. It was not just hard, it was excruciating. I would say that most of us would not have been successful in attending a high school under these conditions. The first day the “Little Rock Nine” (as they came to be known) tried to attend classes was on September 4, 1957. The Arkansas Governor didn’t like the ruling that schools should be desegregated, and he called out the Arkansas National Guard who prevented the nine boys and girls from entering the building. The kids remained at home for two weeks trying their best to keep up with the mounting schoolwork they were missing.
The Little Rock Nine
Eventually the federal government ordered the governor to quit interfering and the students again attempted to attend Central High School on September 23. This time, while the National Guard was not there to stop them, there was an angry mob that beat some African –American reporters trying to cover the story. The police feared they could not control the situation and pulled the kids from school. Two days later President Dwight D. Eisenhower had the Army’s 101st Airborne Division basically take the kids to school. They remained for the entire school year. They even walked the kids to their classes. There was still kicking, name-calling and harassing of other sorts in places the 101st Airborne could not be, such as locker rooms. And after all of this the nine students still found a way to get the education they deserved and eventually graduate high school.
Never Forget
I think it’s just a little reminder to not take an education for granted – no matter what our race. Thanks Jefferson Thomas and the rest of the “Little Rock Nine”. Your ability to persevere and not mind setting an example for others is truly inspiring!
