The Knot

May 17, 1954, was a day to celebrate.
Finally the government had come to its senses,
declaring segregation of public schools unconstitutional.
It’s was new era where people of color had a chance at an equal education.
The halls of schools would be that of a picture,
both black and white, 
yin and yang,
each complimenting the other where it is weak.
Together they create a beautiful masterpiece. 
Well… at least that was the dream.
It wasn’t until three years later that the first schools started to comply,
and the halls were more of scenes from a horror movie than a masterpiece.
****
Carlotta Walls at age 16 took her life into her own hands.
Choosing education even when it came with a side dish of danger.
She applied in secret to a school that was wrapped in the illusion of hope.
Equal education, 
No more segregation.
White and Black coexisting in the same area,
Without the need for constant hysteria.
She had wisdom beyond her years
and with that came understanding.
Her eyes could see the misplaced illusion 
but could also see it was the only way for her education to grow.
****
Together eight of the Rock Nine stood on their first day of school,
surround by screams, shouts, and racial slurs,
yelled by a crowd of angry white protesters. 
That was to be expected.
What came as complete surprise was the governor’s commands.
A slap in the face is an inaccurate expression for what the Rock Nine felt,
when they discovered the entire Arkansas National Guard,
standing before them with orders not to let a single one of them past.
Poor Elizabeth showed up late and by herself to discover the same fate.
The protesters spit on her while yelling, 
“Two, four, six, eight, we ain’t gonna integrate!”
It took three more weeks before the president himself stepped in,
sending in 1,200 members of the U.S military to take charge.
Finally the Rock Nine got to go to school.
Although they were escorted by the military,
the military men were unable to enter classrooms, locker rooms or bathrooms,
leaving nine black students to navigate this new complicated mad house on their own.
***
They were separated into different classes,
obviously on purpose to make them uncomfortable.
Without each other for constant support it was a really bumpy road. 
Every day they faced indignities, threats, violence and much more.
Carlotta got insults constantly thrown her way,
books slapped out of her grip
and kicked while picking them up. 
However she refused to give them the satisfaction of her retaliation.
Each of the other Rock Nine experienced similar situations.
For instance Melba Patillio was physically assaulted on a regular basis,
and even had acid thrown in her face.
Gloria Ray was shoved down a flight of stairs,
with insults flowing from the antagonists lips.
Minnijean Brown was verbally and physically assaulted like the others too.
She also had white kids dump their lunch on her repeatedly.
Sadly none of her white attackers ever got reprimanded.
One December day Minnijean decided she had enough.
In retaliation to some boys taunting and bumping into her,
she slopped chilli onto their heads. 
This caused her to be suspended for six days.
Unfair, for her offenders never got punished.
Later on that year in the month of February,
Some girls who were mocking Minnijean hit her with their purse,
she verbally responded to their assault and was expelled.
For some reason violence and verbal abuse was okay to do to black kids,
but blacks were unable to defend themselves even verbally without repercussion. 
When she left there were white students holding signs stating,
“One down...eight to go!”
Feelings of failure would haunt her for decades.
***
The school year ended with the graduation of Ernest Green,
the only senior among the Rock Nine. 
It was a humongous win in African American history.
What made it all the more gratifying was the guest of honor.
Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. 
attended the Central high graduation ceremony,
to watch Ernest Green receive his diploma. 
I can only imagine how proud Ernest’s family must have been.
***
Sadly the rest of the Rock Nine would never enter Central High again.
Exactly a year since Central High became integrated,
Governor Faubus closed all of Little Rocks High Schools for an entire year.
A public vote was created to prevent African American student attendance.
The vote prevailed in the Governor's favor 19,470 to 7,561.  
The Rock Nine did not let this hold them down.
Those tat had not graduated,
continued their courses through other schools across the country
They grew up to be successful citizens.
Green worked as assistant secretary of the Federal Department of Labor,
under President Jimmy Carter,
Minnijean worked as deputy assistant secretary for workforce diversity,
in the Department of the Interior under President Bill Clinton,
Melba Patillio became a reporter for NBC news,
Carlotta works as a successful real estate broker,
And Gloria Ray worked as a public school teacher,
then a research assistant at a medical facility. 
The others had similar outcomes. 
***
The Rock Nine wanted equal opportunities in education.
They didn’t let racial bias stand in their way.
Every person all over the world can still learn from their experiences.
For instance we all can learn to never ever give up, 
no matter how tough the circumstances.
Also to fight for equality tooth and nail.
By reading the story of The Rock Nine,
people can come up with a new meaning possibly relevant to their own life.
****
Yet the problem of unequal education is not quite solved.
Still sixty(ish) years later a lot of public schools in the U.S. are still divided. 
The number of schools isolated by racial and economic standards,
have more than doubled over a 13-year period ending in the 2013 school year.
What’s even scarier is the report found that,
schools with higher counts of black or Hispanic and/or poor students,
offered fewer educational opportunities, including science, math and college-prep classes.
This is terrifying. 
We do not wish to tie another knot in our society,
that the Rock Nine and many others have worked so hard to unravel. 
Please, help to end racial unjustice in education.
If nine teenagers can make as big a difference as they did,
anyone can make a difference as long as they have determination.
*****
The Rock Nine names and ages in 1957:

Thelma Mothershed (17)
Minnijean Brown Trickey (16)
Carlotta Walls(15)
Terrence Roberts(16)
Ernest Green(16)
Elizabeth Eckford(16)
Gloria Ray(15)
Jefferson Thomas(15)
Melba Pattillo(16)