This online exhibit revisits the 1957 Central High crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas. Select quotes of President Clinton’s speech at the 40th Anniversary Commemoration are highlighted, along with an examination of the speechwriting process for crafting the remarks. The exhibit includes documents and images from the archives at the Clinton Library, and also provides links to additional historical material maintained by other institutions. View Gallery 40th Anniversary of the Desegregation of Central High School Photo Gallery What Happened Here What does what happened here 40 years ago mean today? What does it tell us, most importantly, about our children’s tomorrows?President Bill Clinton, Remarks at the 40th Anniversary of the Desegregation of Central High School, September 25, 1997 Twenty years ago, in 1997, President Clinton returned to his home state of Arkansas to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock's Central High School. These speech remarks reflected on the events of September 1957, President Clinton's recollection of these events as a child living in Arkansas, and the promise of a colorblind society achieved through reconciliation. Speech Preparation President Clinton works on his speech in the holding room at Little Rock Central High for the 40th Anniversary of the Desegregation of Central High with Bruce Lindsey, Sylvia Mathews, June Shih, Michael Waldman, Bob Nash, Sec. Rodney Slater. Little Rock, Arkansas, September 25, 1997, Photographer: Bob McNeely. President Clinton works on his speech in the holding room at Little Rock Central High for the 40th Anniversary of the Desegregation of Central High with Bruce Lindsey, Sylvia Mathews, June Shih, Michael Waldman, Bob Nash, Sec. Rodney Slater. Little Rock, Arkansas, September 25, 1997, Photographer: Bob McNeely. Speechwriters met with President Clinton to craft a message that would commemorate the sacrifice and courage of the Little Rock Nine and inspire those who heard the message to step out in similar acts of courage. The writers addressed the failures of a system of government that attempted to exclude individuals from the American Dream and resolved that America would only ever truly be great if everyone had equal access to opportunities. The staff and office files of Michael Waldman and June Shih contain the drafts from this commemoration. Like any other speech, President Clinton’s remarks went through several revisions during and after meetings with his speechwriting staff. Here you can see the evolution of the speech through various drafts and annotations, including comments in the President’s handwriting. View Michael Waldman's Speechwriting Files View June Shih's Speechwriting Files Speech Drafts Speechwriter, Michael Waldman's hand written notes titled "Group Speech Prep" concerning the Central High Event. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: Michael Waldman's Files L.R. [Little Rock] Central H.S. [High School]. View in the National Archives Catalog Speechwriter, Michael Waldman's hand written notes titled "Group Speech Prep" concerning the Central High Event. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: Michael Waldman's Files L.R. [Little Rock] Central H.S. [High School]. An early draft of the Central High remarks dated 1 pm, September 23, 1997 from speechwriter, June Shih's speech preparation files. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: June Shih's Files. Little Rock [Central High 40th Anniversary] 9/25/97 [2]. View in the National Archives Catalog An early draft of the Central High remarks dated 1 pm, September 23, 1997 from speechwriter, June Shih's speech preparation files. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: June Shih's Files. Little Rock [Central High 40th Anniversary] 9/25/97 [2]. Central High speech draft is dated 9/24/97, 8:30 AM, with handwritten revisions made by President Clinton on September 25, 1997. View in the National Archives Catalog Central High speech draft is dated 9/24/97, 8:30 AM, with handwritten revisions made by President Clinton on September 25, 1997. Two Americas, Divided and Unequal On September 4th, 1957, Elizabeth Eckford walked to this door for her first day of school, utterly alone. She was turned away by people who were afraid of change, instructed by ignorance, hating what they simply could not understand. And America saw her, haunted and taunted for the simple color of her skin, and in the image we caught a very disturbing glimpse of ourselves. We saw not “one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” but two Americas, divided and unequal.President Bill Clinton, Remarks at the 40th Anniversary of Central High School, September 25, 1997 President Clinton's speech quote above captures the injustice that dominated America in the 1950's, namely Little Rock and the 1957 Central High desegregation crisis. In 1954, the United States Supreme Court, in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas decision repudiated the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which served as the basis for the systematic racial segregation of schools. In response, Little Rock Superintendent Virgil Blossom put together a plan for the gradual desegregation of the district’s schools. Though the intention was, to begin with the elementary schools, opposition from white parents and Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus prompted a change to Little Rock Central High School in the fall of 1957. Nine black students, mentored by the head of the Arkansas NAACP Daisy Gatson Bates, were selected for admission into Central. Originally Bates had planned for the students to meet beforehand, but Eckford’s family did not have a phone, and she did not receive the message. And so, on the morning of September 4, she attempted to enter Central High School alone, only to be confronted by a crowd of angry segregationists, the press, and the National Guard under orders from the Governor to prevent her entry into the school. Photographer Will Counts of the Arkansas Gazette took a now iconic photo of Eckford in front of the angry crowd. Turned away from the high school, she went to the bus stop where she was consoled and protected by New York Times reporter Benjamin Fine and civil rights activist Grace Lorch. Brown v. Board of Education The Brown v. Board of Education Case took place during the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Digitized records at The Eisenhower Presidential Library’s website provide more insight into the Brown v. Board of Education Case. On May 17, 1994, President Clinton attended a question and answer session with students at Martin Luther King Middle School about the case. Ernest Green, a member of the Little Rock Nine, accompanied him. Central High Desegregation Timeline of Events The desegregation of Little Rock Central High School took place over several years. A timeline of the entire crisis is available from the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site website. We Must All Thank Them Elizabeth Eckford along with her eight schoolmates were turned away September 4th, but the Little Rock Nine did not turn back. Forty years ago today, they climbed these steps, passed through this door, and moved our Nation. And for that, we must all thank them.President Bill Clinton, Remarks at the 40th Anniversary of the Desegregation of Central High School, September 25, 1997 In this speech quote, President Clinton retraces the steps of the Little Rock Nine who integrated Central High in 1957. Though the National Guard initially turned them away on September 5th, the students were finally able to enter the school on September 25th, 1957. However, entering Central was only the beginning of their difficulties. Singled out in the previously all-white school, the students endured verbal, emotional, and physical abuse from their peers and from the staff that turned a blind eye, as they share in interviews for the National Park Service Central High School Oral History Clips. In a highly symbolic gesture, President Clinton opened the door for Little Rock Nine to the school they had fought so hard to attend 40 years prior. President Clinton symbolically holds the door for the Little Rock Nine, welcoming them into the same school that denied them entrance 40 years before. Little Rock, Arkansas, September 25, 1997, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. President Clinton symbolically holds the door for the Little Rock Nine, welcoming them into the same school that denied them entrance 40 years before. Little Rock, Arkansas, September 25, 1997, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. Congressional Gold Medal President Clinton addresses the Little Rock Nine Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony on the State Floor of the White House, November 9, 1999, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. President Clinton addresses the Little Rock Nine Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony on the State Floor of the White House, November 9, 1999, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. In recognition of all they endured, Congress awarded their highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal to the Little Rock Nine on October 21, 1998. President Clinton made the presentation on November 9, 1999, and thanked the Nine for enduring the “volcano of hatred.” View the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony The Little Rock Nine medals were authorized by H.R. 2560, the Little Rock Nine Medals and Coins Act, sponsored by Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Senator Dale Bumpers (D-Ark.). H.R. 2560, enacted into law on October 21, 1998, was included in the FY99 Omnibus Appropriations bill. Honor those Who Made It Possible Today we honor those who made it possible, their parents first – as Eleanor Roosevelt said of them, “To give your child for a cause is even harder than to give yourself;” to honor my friend Daisy Bates and Wylie Branton and Thurgood Marshall, the NAACP, and all who guided these children; to honor President Eisenhower, Attorney General Brownell, and the men of the 101st Airborne who enforced the Constitution; to honor every student, every teacher, every minister, every Little Rock resident, black or white, who offered a word of kindness, a glance of respect, or a hand of friendship; to honor those who gave us the opportunity to be part of this day of celebration and rededication.President Bill Clinton, Remarks at the 40th Anniversary of the Desegregation of Central High School, September 25, 1997 President Clinton's quote above thanked some of the most crucial players in the desegregation of Central High in 1957, including President Eisenhower. President Clinton and President Eisenhower both celebrated the transformation of a federal power that once blocked school desegregation into a government that demanded integration. The nine students had originally tried to enter the school again on September 23rd but had to be removed by Little Rock Police for the sake of their safety due to the segregationist rioting. In response, President Eisenhower placed the Arkansas National Guard under federal orders and sent 1,200 members of the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock to quell the unrest and protect the students, allowing their entry on September 25. [Executive Order 10730] The troops remained in Little Rock throughout the school year. In May 1958, Ernest Green became the first African-American student to graduate from Central High School. The Eisenhower Presidential Library has many digitized documents that reflect the Eisenhower Administration’s involvement in the Little Rock Crisis, as well as how it captivated the attention of the entire country. National Historic Site Little Rock Central High School joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Documents regarding its status on the National Register are available from the National Archives and Records Administration. Included in these documents are: Arkansas SP Little Rock Central High School Arkansas NHL Little Rock Central High School On November 6, 1998, President Clinton signed legislation designated Little Rock Central High School, as well as the visitor center in the newly-renovated Mobile station nearby, as a National Historic Site. To this day, it is the only operating high school in the National Park system. View the Little Rock Central High Historic Site Bill Signing President Clinton signs bill S.2232, designating Little Rock Central High School as a National Historic Site in a ceremony on the South Lawn. Members of the Little Rock Nine are present at the ceremony. Washington D.C. November 6, 1998, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. President Clinton signs bill S.2232, designating Little Rock Central High School as a National Historic Site in a ceremony on the South Lawn. Members of the Little Rock Nine are present at the ceremony. Washington D.C. November 6, 1998, Photographer: Ralph Alswang. Not There Yet All of us should embrace the vision of a colorblind society, but recognize the fact that we are not there yet and we cannot slam shut the doors of education and economic opportunity.President Bill Clinton, Remarks at the 40th Anniversary of the Desegregation of Central High School, September 25, 1997 President Clinton's above quote on the 1957 desegregation of Central High Crisis affirms that the story of desegregation in Little Rock did not end with the 1957-1958 school year. Over the summer of 1958, the Little Rock school district petitioned and was initially granted the ability to delay desegregation in Cooper v. Aaron. However, the United States Supreme Court overturned the ruling on appeal and ordered the school district to proceed with desegregation. In response, Governor Faubus ordered all of the secondary schools in the Little Rock school district closed on September 12, 1958, ushering in a period known as “The Lost Year.” The Women's Emergency Committee Four days after Governor Faubus ordered all the secondary schools closed, a group of middle to upper-class white women formed the Women’s Emergency Committee (WEC) to Save Our Schools. Throughout 1958 and 1959, the WEC worked with the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women to force the reopening of the high schools. The WEC directly appealed to Governor Faubus to reopen the schools. After a mass layoff of 44 teacher and administrators who supported integration, the WEC and local businessmen formed Stop This Outrageous Purge (STOP) and forced the recall of the segregationist members of the Little Rock School board, replacing them with more moderate members. The schools reopened nearly a month early for the next school year on August 12, 1959. Further information about the WEC is also available at Central High School National Historic Site. WEC and the Lost Year (NPS) WEC pamphlet (NPS) In October 1998, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton met with members of the Women’s Emergency Committee in Little Rock. Speechwriter Jeff Shesol had a hand in crafting her remarks. Talking Points for First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton Speech at WEC Reunion speech preparation for First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton from the speech preparation files of speechwriter, Jeff Shesol. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: Jeffrey Shesol's Files. First Lady Women's Emergency Committees 10/9/98 [2]. View in the National Archives Catalog Talking Points for First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton Speech at WEC Reunion speech preparation for First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton from the speech preparation files of speechwriter, Jeff Shesol. Records of the Office of Speechwriting. Series: Jeffrey Shesol's Files. First Lady Women's Emergency Committees 10/9/98 [2]. One America True to the theme of his remarks, President Clinton was committed to increasing the nation's understanding of the history and future of race relations. President Clinton appointed a seven member Advisory Board on Race to reach out and engage the public in this mission. The Advisory Board submitted their report, "One America in the 21st Century: Forging a New Future," to the President in 1998. The records of the Advisory Board on Race are not yet digitized but are available for research at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. View digitized records from the President's Advisory Board on Race View digitized records concerning "One America" Archival Resources The following digitized files contain additional records related to the remarks at the 40th Anniversary of the Desegregation of Central High School and the Clinton Administration's policies on race relations: View digitized records from speechwriter June Shih View digitized records from speechwriter Laura Schiller View digitized records from speechwriter David Shipley View digitized records from speechwriter Michael Waldman View digitized records from speechwriter Terry Edmonds Educational Resources Students should review the Commemorating Courage online exhibit before completing any of the following assignments. Students may work in groups or individually. Option 1 Each student or team of students selects a particular portion of President Clinton’s speech on the 40th Anniversary of desegregation at Little Rock Central High School and examines how the content of it changed from drafts to the final version. Students will then give an oral report or complete a writing assignment on how the content changed between drafts. Ask students to speculate on why the edits were made. For example–Why do you think President Clinton changed a particular word or phrase, mentioned a specific person, or included a certain quote? Extension Activity/Informed Action Component:Each student or team of students writes a short speech to commemorate a historically significant local, state, regional, or national event. Then, the draft versions are reviewed by classmates who will suggest changes. As a class, the students will combine the best elements of the drafts into a final speech. The final speech can be presented at an assembly, school open house (live or recorded), shared as a podcast (audio only or video file), through social media, and/or as a press release to traditional media outlets. Option 2 The Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Little Rock Nine represents the highest civilian honor awarded by Congress. Each time it is awarded, a unique design is created to reflect the recipient(s) and their contribution to society. In this activity, each student or team of students examines the Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Little Rock Nine and other Congressional Gold Medal designs. Next, students will consider other groups or individuals who have not yet been recognized and write a recommendation for them to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. Finally, students will design their own medal, reflecting the achievements of their selected group or individual. Students can present their findings, recommendations, and design in a written report, multimedia presentation (such as PowerPoint, Prezi, or iMovie), website, poster, or exhibit board. Extension Activity/Informed Action Component:Organize an assembly or school open house where the students can share their findings on a broader platform. Students can also write a letter to their House Representative or Senator with their recommendation for recognition. Option 3 Little Rock Central High School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and became a National Historic Site after President Clinton signed legislation in 1998. In this activity, students will review the nomination records for the site and will consider the differences between the two designations. Then, students will search the National Register database to identify a local property of historic significance and conduct research (polls, surveys, interviews) to gauge public awareness of the site. Extension Activity/Informed Action Component:Students create a social media campaign to promote awareness of the site they researched. Or students can identify the State Historic Preservation Officer for their state or research a local site that may have significant historical value that is not already listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Students can then use the National Park Service National Register Criteria to determine if the site is eligible and complete the nomination form for the National Historic Register of Historic Places.