Little Rock Central High School was the site of an historic confrontation in 1957. Basically, nine black students, “The Little Rock Nine”, were integrated into this all-white high school. But there was much drama.
Background: In 1954, the US Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education (Topeka KS) that segregation of schools was unconstitutional, so schools must integrate. In the south states were mostly slow to follow the Supreme Court ruling.
In 1957, Congress passed and President Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. This law established the Civil Rights Section of the Justice Department and empowered federal prosecutors to obtain court injunctions against interference with the right to vote. It also established a federal Civil Rights Commission with authority to investigate discriminatory conditions and recommend corrective measures. The final act was weakened by Congress due to lack of support among the Democrats.
On September 4, 1957, the first day of classes at Central High, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus called in the Arkansas National Guard to block the Black students’ entry into the high school. Later that month, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent in federal troops to escort the Little Rock Nine into the school. It drew national attention to the civil rights movement.The Magnolia service station was one of the few businesses in the immediate neighborhood and had a pay telephone on site. During the early days of the desegregation crisis, when reporters from all over the state, nation, and world converged on Little Rock, many phoned in their reports from the station.The school is still an active high school, the only active school that is inside a National Park in the US.
Well, the unexpected drive home afforded us the opportunity to stop and tour the Arkansas State capitol in Little Rock. We had stopped here on our honeymoon, but it was closed so we did not tour the building then.Christmas in the state capitol.Looking up in the rotunda.Senate chamber.Dome in the Senate chamber.House of Representatives chamber.Dome in the House chamber.Arkansas Supreme Court.Arkansas Governor’s office.Copper doors.
Scenes from around San Antonio during our visit. This is the view of our hotel, The Emily Morgan Hotel, looking down East Houston Street.The Emily Morgan Hotel.Frost Tower.The old Robert E. Lee Hotel, “100% Air Conditioned”!Tower Life Building, the oldest tower in San Antonio, built in 1928.Statue of Theodore Roosevelt.Majestic Theater. When we lived here we saw several off-Broadway shows here.The Alamodome. Michigan and Washington were in town to play in the Valero Alamo Bowl on December 29.View of the Alamodome from the Tower of the Americas.AT&T Center, home of the San Antonio Spurs. This is their 50th anniversary year.Tour boat on the River Walk.“The Torch of Friendship” sculpture.Sculpture honoring the arrival of the Canary Islanders, who were the first colonists to organize civil government in Texas and founded the village of San Fernando de Bexar, in 1731.The San Antonio River running through a hotel on the River Walk.This sculpture is on the River Walk near River Center. Stargazer, by Pedero Reyes, 2022, volcanic stone and marble.Christmas Eve at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.Pearl Brewery area. Pearl Brewery dates back to 1883. It is now a thriving cultural center, with upscale hotels, condos and apartments, shops and restaurants.Hotel Emma!The boots at North Star Mall. They were here back in the 1980s too!We lived in this house in 1987-1988.This was my office for Security Trust Insurance Company.This was the location of the Crystal Baking Company where MJ worked. It is now a gun shop!Leaving San Antonio December 26, at the airport. Or will we? This is the line in front of us.This is the line behind us.The Baltimore flight was ours…CANCELLED! Fortunately we were able to obtain a rental car, so off we drive to BWI airport from San Antonio 1630 miles!
One of the highlights of our trip – dinner at La Margarita Restaurant. The best fajitas!Steak and chicken fajitas.Historic Market Square is colorful year-round, not just Christmas!For Christmas night, we ate at Mi Tierra, which was packed and colorful!
So after church Christmas morning we had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe on the River Walk.Buddy Holly memorabilia.Waylon Jennings.Willie Nelson.Roy Orbison.So the restaurant was playing Rock and Roll Christmas videos, the whole time, of course being Christmas Day. This one really got me- Twisted Sister singing O Come All Ye Faithful, head-banger style.
