August 21st 2023.
Elizabeth Eckford and Terrence Roberts, two of the nine brave students who integrated Little Rock Central High School, have spoken out against a controversial decision made by the Arkansas Department of Education. The decision was to drop AP African American studies courses.
Eckford and Roberts, now in their 80s, both remember the trauma they suffered back in 1957. Eckford told NBC News, “I think the attempts to erase history is working for the Republican Party. They have some boogeymen that are really popular with their supporters.”
Roberts recalls the white mob that was blocking the school entrance on their first day. He remembers one of the mob members holding a bat and calling him the N-word, saying, “If you weren’t so small,” before dropping the weapon and backing off. “All nine of us suffered physically and emotionally,” Roberts said.
The Little Rock Nine realize that some people don’t want to confront history. Those that were a part of the trauma don’t want the evidence displayed. Roberts asked, “I know there are voices pushing back. The question is, will they be successful?”
Fortunately, certain state school districts, including Little Rock’s, have announced that they will continue to offer the course. According to the College Board, 700 schools will pilot the class this year, with 200 colleges agreeing to accept credit for the course.
The Arkansas decision has been linked to Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders who ordered a curriculum review at the beginning of 2023 after the state banned critical race theory. Sanders claims that the state can’t “push this propaganda leftist agenda” and that she wants to focus on the “basics of teaching math, of teaching reading, writing and American history.”
After all these years, Elizabeth Eckford and Terrence Roberts are still fighting for the rights of African American students. They’re determined to preserve history and ensure that African American studies remains in the curriculum.
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