6th leg: Little Rock, Arkansas
After leaving Memphis, I headed farther west to meet up with a friend of mine from Dallas days, (and my friend who I visited in South Africa when she lived there), Mel K. I was super excited to see Mel again, and although our visit was short, it was great seeing her and doing all things Little Rock in 2 days! As always, more civil rights milestones in this city, as an educator, our visit to Little Rock High School gave the largest impression. But also, some lighter happenings on our visit, the only purse museum in the United States (who knew?), the William J. Clinton Presidential Library (fun fact, the only Presidential Library with a bar!), sunsets on the Arkansas River and a really fun neighborhood where our Airbnb was located. Did you know the Beatles song "Blackbird" was inspired by the Little Rock Nine? True story, you'll never hear it the same, eh?
Mel and I did the requisite stops, the state Capitol, Bill and Hillary's house when he was governor, the current governor's mansion (with the Bill Clinton bust), murals, the riverwalk and outdoor sculptures and pedestrian bridges (my favorite shot of a most creative graffiti found there), the Esse Purse Museum (this is worth the $8 believe me!), and then of course, what visit here would be complete without going to the Little Rock Central High School Historic Site?
For those not in the know, this is the location where white supremacist Governor Orval Faubus, in 1957 AFTER the landmark desegregation ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) refused to allow 9 black students into Little Rock High School. He was so entrenched in his white supremacist world view, he called up the Arkansas National Guard to block their lawful entry. Despite President Eisenhower's usual lack of willingness to get involved in civil rights fights in the states...the military man in Eisenhower led him to think hold up, wait a minute....and declare, "Mob rule cannot be allowed to override the decisions of our courts." Our army is bigger than yours.
Basically, in the fight between state governor and President Eisenhower, this was a history book moment where it was "game on!" so to speak . Spoiler alert. Governor Faubus lost this one. But then he threw in a loophole. If black children can't have nice things, then neither will white children! In protest of being forced to be a decent human and treat all people equal, Governor Faubus closed ALL public schools in Arkansas for a year rather than allow the integration to go forward. Nearly 4,000 white and black school kids didn't get an education for a year, known as "the Lost Year". For more on these shameful American events, visit the wiki site.
Visiting this high school (still in use) was really moving. It was voted one of the most beautiful high schools in America, and you can imagine how this blatant visual disparity might have been perceived by the Little Rock Nine, coming from the most inferior and underfunded schools in their state. One part of the site I did not know much about was the Mobil gas station they've preserved in time. The gas station served as a temporary "office" for press people and activists while the Little Rock Crisis played out. It had a rare public phone at the time and allowed the media to report and communicate in a way that was pretty rare in 1957. Remember, all television was live, as far as media events and "breaking news" goes, this drama played out to the whole country over several days.
Some of the most shocking things I saw in the museum (as a teacher of these topics, often I've seen many of what's in museums, but now and then I'm surprised)...were actual pocked cards the assistant principal passed out "bearer may kick rumps of each CHS negro once per day until above expiration date" and, after one of the original Little Rock Nine was expelled for dropping a lunch tray (creating a "disturbance")...she passed out "one down...eight to go" cards to staff and students. Ugh. What is wrong with humanity? I'm talking to you, white people.
On a lighter note, the neighborhood where we stayed, Pettaway, had a very interesting history of economic strife and then revival. Once a center of gang activity (featured in a 1990's HBO documentary), a recent revival of "container homes" and "throw out the rules" architecture has really made the neighborhood a hot commodity in the last 15 years. Gentrified but with plenty of the original residence too, it was fun to go for my morning jog and hunt for the next container house surprise. Our Airbnb was a container home as well. More on this story of the neighborhood here.
Mel and I had a great time walking around, eating in some fun spots (get the Stickyz chicken!) and of course, meeting and hearing some cool stories from our waiter, Duane, at "42", the restaurant and bar at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. Yeah buddy! I could tell you about that story when he met President Clinton, but then I'd have to get the secret service after ya. Yeah, buddy. Oh and the museum itself also was highly entertaining, as usual, campaign button archives is the one exhibit I found the most interesting.
To see all my photos from Little Rock, Arkansas, click here
Below: a glass of rose ordered at the Clinton Presidential library. I warned our waiter Duane I was gonna "borrow it. Permanently. "Not the first time that's happened." Permission granted!?
Mel and I did the requisite stops, the state Capitol, Bill and Hillary's house when he was governor, the current governor's mansion (with the Bill Clinton bust), murals, the riverwalk and outdoor sculptures and pedestrian bridges (my favorite shot of a most creative graffiti found there), the Esse Purse Museum (this is worth the $8 believe me!), and then of course, what visit here would be complete without going to the Little Rock Central High School Historic Site?
For those not in the know, this is the location where white supremacist Governor Orval Faubus, in 1957 AFTER the landmark desegregation ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) refused to allow 9 black students into Little Rock High School. He was so entrenched in his white supremacist world view, he called up the Arkansas National Guard to block their lawful entry. Despite President Eisenhower's usual lack of willingness to get involved in civil rights fights in the states...the military man in Eisenhower led him to think hold up, wait a minute....and declare, "Mob rule cannot be allowed to override the decisions of our courts." Our army is bigger than yours.
Basically, in the fight between state governor and President Eisenhower, this was a history book moment where it was "game on!" so to speak . Spoiler alert. Governor Faubus lost this one. But then he threw in a loophole. If black children can't have nice things, then neither will white children! In protest of being forced to be a decent human and treat all people equal, Governor Faubus closed ALL public schools in Arkansas for a year rather than allow the integration to go forward. Nearly 4,000 white and black school kids didn't get an education for a year, known as "the Lost Year". For more on these shameful American events, visit the wiki site.
Visiting this high school (still in use) was really moving. It was voted one of the most beautiful high schools in America, and you can imagine how this blatant visual disparity might have been perceived by the Little Rock Nine, coming from the most inferior and underfunded schools in their state. One part of the site I did not know much about was the Mobil gas station they've preserved in time. The gas station served as a temporary "office" for press people and activists while the Little Rock Crisis played out. It had a rare public phone at the time and allowed the media to report and communicate in a way that was pretty rare in 1957. Remember, all television was live, as far as media events and "breaking news" goes, this drama played out to the whole country over several days.
Some of the most shocking things I saw in the museum (as a teacher of these topics, often I've seen many of what's in museums, but now and then I'm surprised)...were actual pocked cards the assistant principal passed out "bearer may kick rumps of each CHS negro once per day until above expiration date" and, after one of the original Little Rock Nine was expelled for dropping a lunch tray (creating a "disturbance")...she passed out "one down...eight to go" cards to staff and students. Ugh. What is wrong with humanity? I'm talking to you, white people.
On a lighter note, the neighborhood where we stayed, Pettaway, had a very interesting history of economic strife and then revival. Once a center of gang activity (featured in a 1990's HBO documentary), a recent revival of "container homes" and "throw out the rules" architecture has really made the neighborhood a hot commodity in the last 15 years. Gentrified but with plenty of the original residence too, it was fun to go for my morning jog and hunt for the next container house surprise. Our Airbnb was a container home as well. More on this story of the neighborhood here.
Mel and I had a great time walking around, eating in some fun spots (get the Stickyz chicken!) and of course, meeting and hearing some cool stories from our waiter, Duane, at "42", the restaurant and bar at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. Yeah buddy! I could tell you about that story when he met President Clinton, but then I'd have to get the secret service after ya. Yeah, buddy. Oh and the museum itself also was highly entertaining, as usual, campaign button archives is the one exhibit I found the most interesting.
To see all my photos from Little Rock, Arkansas, click here
Below: a glass of rose ordered at the Clinton Presidential library. I warned our waiter Duane I was gonna "borrow it. Permanently. "Not the first time that's happened." Permission granted!?