It wasn't all bad
Fifty years ago, President Eisenhower had to dispatch federal troops to Arkansas to escort nine black high school students past jeering crowds who did not want their schools integrated. The students become known as the Little Rock Nine, and their brave stance helped galvanize the civil-rights movement. This week, all nine returned to the scene of the confrontation, this time to be cheered by thousands and praised by dignitaries including governors, congressmen, and former President (as well as former Arkansas Gov.) Bill Clinton. “We thought this was a place that would accept us,” one of the nine, Ernest Green, told the crowd. “And you know what? Fifty years later, I think we were right!”
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