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Jerry Pillarelli | profile | all galleries >> Travel and Nature; Sites by State >> US Travel; by Trip, by State >> Arkansas >> Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site – Arkansas tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site – Arkansas

Images of Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site – Arkansas, taken in June 2024.
It is crucial that we remember the things that took place at sites like this; Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site marks a turning point in our collective history. In a time when many schools were segregated, it took President Dwight D. Eisenhower calling in 1,200 101st Airborne Division troops to escort nine black students, the Little Rock Nine, into Little Rock Central High School. That occurred on September 25th, 1957; on the 26th, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus declared, “We are now an occupied territory” and parents decried that integration was destroying the public school system. The fight would go on. A year later Faubus would close the school to give voters the choice to accept or reject integrating the school, and when the voters rejected integration, the school was closed for the entire year. Only after a federal court declared the closing unconstitutional was the school reopened, with black students in attendance.

As a photographer, one of my favorite news images is represented by the first image in this gallery. It was shot by Will Counts of the Arkansas Gazette, and depicts Little Rock Nine student Elizabeth Eckford being screamed at by student Hazel Bryan. The image stands the test of time as cruelty and intolerance never ages well.

It’s hard to believe that we still have to deal with this kind of intolerance more than sixty-six years later, but I am sure that the hate and bigotry of today will age just as well as similar ideas of the past.
Iconic image of Elizabeth Eckford being screamed at by Hazel Bryan in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Iconic image of Elizabeth Eckford being screamed at by Hazel Bryan in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 The Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
The Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Little Rock Central High School reflected in the pool in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Little Rock Central High School reflected in the pool in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Front of Little Rock Central High School reflected in the pool in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Front of Little Rock Central High School reflected in the pool in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Entrance to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Entrance to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
1-Path of the Little Rock Nine on September 25th, 1957 in Little Rock Central HS NHS…
1-Path of the Little Rock Nine on September 25th, 1957 in Little Rock Central HS NHS…		 2-Path of the Little Rock Nine on September 25th, 1957 in Little Rock Central HS NHS…
2-Path of the Little Rock Nine on September 25th, 1957 in Little Rock Central HS NHS…		 Front entrance doors to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Front entrance doors to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 3-Path of the Little Rock Nine on September 25th, 1957 in Little Rock Central HS NHS…
3-Path of the Little Rock Nine on September 25th, 1957 in Little Rock Central HS NHS…		 4-Path of the Little Rock Nine to center door on September 25th, 1957 in Little Rock Central HS NHS…
4-Path of the Little Rock Nine to center door on September 25th, 1957 in Little Rock Central HS NHS…
Ambition sculpture above the entrance to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Ambition sculpture above the entrance to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Personality sculpture above the entrance to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Personality sculpture above the entrance to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Light fixture at the entrance to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Light fixture at the entrance to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Opportunity sculpture above the entrance to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Opportunity sculpture above the entrance to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Preparation sculpture above the entrance to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Preparation sculpture above the entrance to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Center entrance door to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Center entrance door to Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 View of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
View of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Closeup of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Closeup of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Interior view of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Interior view of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Magnolia Mobile Service Station and student gathering place in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Magnolia Mobile Service Station and student gathering place in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Elizabeth Eckford Bus Bench in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Elizabeth Eckford Bus Bench in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Closeup of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Closeup of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Magnolia Mobile Service Station across the street from the school in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Magnolia Mobile Service Station across the street from the school in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Bald Cypress tree planted by class of 1957 in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Bald Cypress tree planted by class of 1957 in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Class of 1957 commemorative plaque in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Class of 1957 commemorative plaque in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Reflective arches in the Commemorative Garden in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Reflective arches in the Commemorative Garden in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 Commemorative Garden inscription in Little Rock Central HS NHS
Commemorative Garden inscription in Little Rock Central HS NHS		 ‘United’ sculpture by artist Clay Enoch in Little Rock Central HS NHS
‘United’ sculpture by artist Clay Enoch in Little Rock Central HS NHS

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