Elizabeth Eckford, one of the Little Rock Nine, leaves Little Rock’s Central High School after having been denied the chance to enroll. Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus called the Arkansas National Guard to duty to prevent nine African American students from enrolling. (Photo by Will Counts – see his series here.)
Elizabeth Eckford graduated*, went on to a career with the Army as a journalist, and is the only one of the nine students (all of whom graduated and did well) to live in Little Rock today. Central High school is a National Historical Monument — and still a high school.
What I want to know is this: The woman in back of Ms. Eckford, face thoroughly engaged in delivering a piece of her mind, I suppose: Who is she, and where is she, today? Does anyone know?
- * Ernest Green was the only senior among the Nine — he graduated in the spring of 1958; the others had a more difficult path. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., attended Green’s high school graduation ceremony. When I met him, he was Assistant Secretary of Labor in the Carter administration. Green is an Eagle Scout.
- Central Arkansas Library System lesson plan on Arkansas’ top ten events in history; the 1957 events top the lists of several journalists. A top ten events in any state’s history might be a good set of activities for any state history course, especially if you can find a list of a top ten from state newspapers or other sources.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
Thank you, NoZe!
LikeLike
The woman harassing Elizabeth Eckford in Will Counts’ classic photograph is Hazel Massery. Back before the 40th anniversary of the Central High Crisis in 1997, the two met again and she publicly apologized to Eckford. She apparently refused to participate in a “USA Today” interview for the 50th anniversary.
And, for the record, Minnijean Brown Trickey still lives in Little Rock as well, although she did leave the state and live in Canada for a number of years.
LikeLike