The governor of Arkansas who used National Guard troops to fight integration at Central High School in Little Rock was:
A. Thurgood Marshall B. Oliver Brown C. Orval Faubus D. Earl Warren
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is C. Orval Faubus.
Orval Faubus served as the Governor of Arkansas from 1955 to 1967 and is most infamously remembered for his staunch opposition to school integration during the Civil Rights Movement. His actions in 1957 regarding the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock became a significant flashpoint in the struggle for civil rights in the United States.
In May 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This landmark decision mandated the desegregation of schools across the nation. However, many southern states resisted this ruling, and Arkansas was no exception. In 1957, nine African American students, known as the “Little Rock Nine,” attempted to enroll at Central High School, a previously all-white institution.
In response to the growing tensions and threats of violence from segregationists, Governor Faubus ordered the Arkansas National Guard to block the students from entering the school on September 4, 1957. This act was seen as a blatant violation of federal law and an attempt to uphold segregation in public education. The situation escalated, leading President Dwight D. Eisenhower to intervene. He federalized the National Guard and sent in the 101st Airborne Division to ensure the safety of the Little Rock Nine and enforce the court’s desegregation order.
Faubus’s actions were a direct challenge to federal authority and highlighted the deep-seated resistance to desegregation in the South. His defiance had lasting implications, as it exemplified the struggle between state and federal power, and it brought national attention to the civil rights movement, further galvanizing efforts for equality in education and beyond.