The Little Rock Nine and Their Goal
Eighty African-American students applied to Central, but Blossom wanted fewer. Daisy Bates then asked principals at African-American schools to discourage some students based on their records, the anticipated stress, and their exclusion from all extracurricular activities. Eventually, 17 exceptional students were accepted, but only nine made it past the first day.
"We felt that education was our major responsibility and integration a secondary problem in the social revolution of our times. My immediate goal was having the black children in school as just ordinary children."
-Elizabeth Huckaby, the girls vice-principal at Central
-Elizabeth Huckaby, the girls vice-principal at Central
"I began to feel as though we [The Little Rock Nine] had formed some kind of group–an odd family of people with one goal: to get inside Central High and stay there for the school year."
-Melba Pattillo, one of the Nine
-Melba Pattillo, one of the Nine
Source: National Park Service, 1957
Minnijean Brown on the application process:
Video Courtesy of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CkNVUlf4Q8&feature=youtu.be#