School Integration-Just a
Southern Problem?
Christine Adrian
Summer Fellowship, 2007
Lesson 2:
Student Reactions to Integration
Annotated list of
Materials and resources:
Local Champaign County
Resources:
-This 1969 public television documentary series
examines African American Life in Central Illinois. In this episode, school integration is examined. A Decatur school walkout, desegregation
in two Champaign schools and a student forum are highlighted.
Page 2 News Gazette, February
2, 1967. Champaign County
Archives,
Urbana Free Library, Urbana, IL.
-This
newspaper clipping describes early tensions in the
system over racial division.
-This front page article chronicles a riot that breaks
out at Centennial high school involving a large number of white students and
community members who waited with weapons for African American students to
arrive by bus to school. Many
injuries are reported, including a fractured skull.
-An overview of the violence that ensued and efforts to
return students back to school are highlighted.
-This article gives voice to certain Centennial staff
who say that the community climate was the cause of the violence on the 29th
of April 1971.
-A minute by minute account of the riot at Centennial.
-Later in the year, further fights cause police to
patrol halls.
-This article serves to calm community nerves over any
further violence taking place at Centennial.
-Questions arise on how the November violence has been
handled, and calls come from the community to remove the principal. Centennial refuses to comment.
-Calls for removal of the principal at Centennial get
louder as controversy surrounding the suspended students rise.
-Student anger bleeds to the middle school population.
-Former Centennial principal is removed and replaced on
an interim basis by Davis. Davis
lays out changes he will make to relieve racial tension at his school.
-The students involved in the November incident return
to school under much controversy over whether a Òjust sentenceÓ was delivered.
-Teachers rise up in anger after teens who reportedly
assaulted staff return to school.
The issue is racially charged after a history of violence in April. Many in the community cry that the
African American students in the November incident receive different treatment
than the white students involved in the attack in April. Tensions rise.
-A brief article describing the walkout in Decatur
schools is described, though the numbers in this report are much smaller than
those reported in the WILL documentary.
-This report by the WomanÕs League of Voters cites
Champaign Urbana as the most segregated community in the state in terms of
housing.
National Documents from
the Web:
-Shows a picture of elementary school children with
teacher. This picture is
interesting, because there is not much emotion demonstrated. Students might try to jump into the
heads of the students to postulate on what they might be feeling during this
uncertain time.
-This picture shows another integrated classroom, this
time high school. The same type of
emotionless faces is demonstrated.
Are these pictures staged?
-In this picture, an integrated elementary classroom is
shown. Unlike the other two, this
depicts a classroom where white students were integrated into a traditionally
African American school.
-A picture of University of Alabama students with
confederate flags burning desegregation literature.
-White students surround black students entering school
in Tennessee.
-White boys surround girl on way to school, yelling,
pointing and laughing at her.
-A number of troops are visible escorting African
Americans from school.
-Riot ensues after African American student enrolls at
Old Miss. Newspaper coverage and
photo.
Web Pages:
-A printable timeline of School Integrated
is presented for use in Part 2.
-This site includes a list of digitized news articles
on the Chicago School Boycott that can be purchased online for a nominal fee.
-This gives a brief summary of the incident and
includes documents and pictures surrounding the event.
-This site gives a primary source copy of the executive
article surrounding the Little Rock 9 story. Links to background information are also provided.
-This gives an optimistic look at school segregation,
while pointing out protests and violence throughout the country.
-Provides a comprehensive look at the Little Rock
Crisis, including primary source documents as well as secondary sources.
-Provides story of Ruby Bridges, and information on how
to have Ms. Hall speak at your school, as well as information on her book, Through
my Eyes.
-This article discusses a large New York City Schools
Boycott, whose effects are spreading across the country.
