The Little Rock Nine and Pine Street

After the Supreme Court ruled on Brown v Topeka Board of Education, many school districts in the South avoided desegregation. The most famous of these occurred at Central High School in downtown Little Rock. There Governor Faubus, the Arkansas National Guard, and many local white citizens blocked nine black students from entering the building. President Eisenhower responded by sending federal troops in to escort the students inside. This incident showed the country that Supreme Court decisions would be supported, and it also showed how the black community would fight racial hatred. (For more information on this event, see The Little Rock Nine).

During the crisis at Central, many students at Pine Street believed that pursuing an education in Arkansas was dangerous and unwise. For a time, the black parents in Conway removed their children from Pine Street, and enrollement dropped dramatically. Shortly after this incident, enrollment rebounded only to decrease again gradually as integration became more prevelant. In the 1967-68 school year, attendance went from 315 to 199 students. This was the last year the Pine Street School remained open. In May of 1969, the school shut down.

Back to Pine Street School home page