Central High

 

Our first stop on our grand downtown adventure was Little Rock Central High.  Perhaps, my bloggy friends from other parts of the US and the world have heard about the 1957 Crisis at Central High.  When 9 African-American high school students were sent to the all white Central High, Little Rock became the center of mass media and the civil rights movement.

My mother was a junior that year.  I grew up hearing stories about the 1957 crisis, the school closing, and how she was robbed of the title Valedictorian at the high school where she attended her senior year.  Mother talked about the importance of an equal education.  She said that it was one of the reasons she became a teacher.  She told us about the big debate every night on whether or not my grandparents were going to allow them to attend school the next day.  There was so much violence and anger surrounding Central that my grandmother feared for her safety.

Before we left the house yesterday, I pulled out my mother’s yearbook.  I showed the kids a little part of history.  I think they thought it was pretty cool but didn’t understand the magnitude until they visited the museum.  It was just a yearbook with some really funny looking pictures.  But history made a point with them the minute they walked up to the building.

Magnificent isn’t it??  The majesty of the 1927 building is so breathtaking!!

Here’s a cute picture…

The museum had an old fashioned black dial phone.  My son had never seen one.  He asked me, “How does this work?”  I explained that back in the old days you had to dial the number.  He thought it was sooooo cool waiting for the dial to move around before dialing the next number.  I felt so old!

 

I found this picture kinda cool.  It was showing the year they closed the school.  Mom was a member of the “Lost Year.”  My mom had to drive 30 minutes to Mabelvale High School.  She said that the faculty and students of Mabelvale were not very friendly.  They felt invaded.  Sadly, it was the only option.

Later, Mabelvale High School became the Jr. High that I attended.  It was cool going to the same school as my mother.  Knowing the history and mom’s trials, though, made it bittersweet.

This is the gas station that was the meeting place for the picketing and the media storm.  What I found interesting….

The price of gas!!!!!!!!!!  The pump didn’t even have a “dollar” amount!!!!

It is spring break so we got to walk all around the school building.

When I took this picture, I got a little emotional.  I realized that my mother had walked on these grounds so many years ago.  It was a place in her personal history that had made a powerful impact on her.  It shaped her into the teacher she became.  And my dear sweet children were standing on those grounds.  I whispered softly to mom how proud she would be of her grandchildren.

Three generations have now stood on these grounds.

Come back tomorrow and I will share the other events of Downtown 2011!!

God Bless…