This Year In History:Judicial Power (Little Rock September 23-24, 2007)

9/23/07 | Self

[Nextrush]

Nine black students entered Little Rock Central High School on Monday September 23, 1957. They attended the first three periods of the school day before being removed at noon.

One student told reporters: "nothing much happened."

But outside a crowd of more than one thousand people erupted into acts of violence as police repeatedly pushed them back from the school. Windows at the school were broken.

Two black reporters were attacked by the mob with cameras clicking and rolling.

The Little Rock police had some help from Arkansas State Police but they left at noon (the same time the students were taken away from the school in two police cars).

Mayor Woodrow Mann told police to announce to the crowd that the black students had left the school.

After the students left the school, Arkansas NAACP president Daisy Bates issued a statement saying the students would not return to Little Rock Central High until there was federal intervention. Bates spoke of the need for "assurance from the President of the United States that they will be protected from the mob."

President Eisenhower viewed the situation as an "insurrection" and decided to act. While there were plans to use federal marshals to protect the students Eisenhower eventually decided on a military response.

He issued a proclamation on September 23rd declaring that "therefore I Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States, under and by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the United States, including Chapter 15 of Title 10 of the United States Code, particularly sections 332, 333 and 334 thereof, do command all persons engaged in such obstruction of justice to cease and desist therefrom, and to disperse therewith..."

The proclamation of September 23rd was followed by Executive Order 10730 the next day September 24th.

President Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard placing it under the command of Major General Edwin Walker of the Arkansas Military District.

He then directed a thousand soliders of the 327th Battle Group of the 101st Airborne Division to go to Little Rock to enforce the federal court order integrating Little Rock Central High School.

The troops entered Little Rock after sundown on the evening of Tuesday September 24th, 1957.

President Eisenhower spoke about "mob rule" in Little Rock that was being used against the United States by its enemies around the world.

Governor Faubus, meanwhile, attacked the decision calling it unwise....