Court Case Study: Cooper Vs. Aaron
Secondary Source:
In Cooper vs. Aaron the Supreme Court stated that Arkansas could not pass legislation saying that racial segregation was constitutional. Because Brown vs. Board of Education declared that the fourteenth amendment forbade the states from segregating students due to race, the states were forced to integrate their schools. The Little Rock School Board came up with a plan to integrate their school, but because their governor passed a law outlawing integration in their state, the process was much more difficult. Little Rock School Board and the state had conflict on September 4, 1957 when the Arkansas national guard (ordered by the governor) prevented a group of nine African American students from enrolling, even though an integration plan had been agreed upon. The United States government got involved and got an injunction to stop the orders. The troops were forced to stand down. The students were finally able to attend by the end of September. In February 1958 the Little Rock School Board petitioned the federal court to postpone the integration plan. There was so much disaster going on, and the courts agreed, so the students were taken out of school. However the NAACP fought for the students' rights, saying the delay would violate their constitutional rights. Finally the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed the case, and they ruled that the kids could go back to school. The state couldn't back because their are laws that say the Supreme Court have official power over the individual states.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/democracy/landmark_cooper.html
In Cooper vs. Aaron the Supreme Court stated that Arkansas could not pass legislation saying that racial segregation was constitutional. Because Brown vs. Board of Education declared that the fourteenth amendment forbade the states from segregating students due to race, the states were forced to integrate their schools. The Little Rock School Board came up with a plan to integrate their school, but because their governor passed a law outlawing integration in their state, the process was much more difficult. Little Rock School Board and the state had conflict on September 4, 1957 when the Arkansas national guard (ordered by the governor) prevented a group of nine African American students from enrolling, even though an integration plan had been agreed upon. The United States government got involved and got an injunction to stop the orders. The troops were forced to stand down. The students were finally able to attend by the end of September. In February 1958 the Little Rock School Board petitioned the federal court to postpone the integration plan. There was so much disaster going on, and the courts agreed, so the students were taken out of school. However the NAACP fought for the students' rights, saying the delay would violate their constitutional rights. Finally the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed the case, and they ruled that the kids could go back to school. The state couldn't back because their are laws that say the Supreme Court have official power over the individual states.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/democracy/landmark_cooper.html
Primary Source:
In the beginning, Ernest Green didn't really expect any trouble going into being part of the Little Rock Nine. Many places in Arkansas emitted black people, like libraries, and hospitals. So getting involved didn't seem so crazy! But as he and eight other students started their journey, things got out of hand. Mobs would form outside of the school, but because he was inside he didn't understand the intensity of it. He said that watching it on T.V. made it much more frightening. Eventually the safety of the students wavered so badly, the president had to send 1,000 paratroopers to help keep the students safe. Many students, who were segregationists, jumped out windows or stopped attending the school altogether to prove their points. There were even occasions when Ernest and the other students were called to the principles office and told they had to go home for their own safety. He said that the guards outside were having a hard time controlling the mob. All of this was so crazy to Ernest because inside the school everything was calm. The segregationists had already left the school, so the students left were generally kind. Ernest said that the fact that the students on the inside were usually kind, and that the teachers were supportive, and that it was peaceful on the inside of the school, made the concept that he was in danger difficult to grasp at times. But even though he was usually treated kindly by the students, segregationist would eventually start to pressure them to be cruel to the African American students. Ernest remember quite a few incidents that occurred at the school. He says that often times their lockers would be ram-shackled. "I'm sure the school board must have spent thousands of dollars just replacing our books." Other times the nine students would get phone calls with threats. He recalls a time where a student called one of the girls, and told them that they would be shot in the face with a water gun filled with acid and that they better watch out. Not to long after the call, Ernest was walking with a friend of his, and another student walked up to her and shot her in the face with the water gun. Even though the gun was filled with water, the scare alone was harassment enough. There was also a time when a friend of Ernest retaliated to a white harasser. The white student called his friend Minnie the n word repeatedly until finally she picked up the chili she had and dumped it on his head. Ernest said that people were extremely surprised because there wasn't a lot of retaliation, and they were almost considered stoic to everything going on. Minnie was suspended and eventually had to leave Little Rock to continue her education. Even though there was a lot of pain, and hardship, Ernest and all the others agree that it was worth it. He says that if he had to do it all over again, he wouldn't have done it any other way, and when he received his diploma he knew he wasn't just walking across that stage for himself, but some greater power.
http://digital.wustl.edu/e/eop/eopweb/gre0015.0329.043ernestgreen.html
In the beginning, Ernest Green didn't really expect any trouble going into being part of the Little Rock Nine. Many places in Arkansas emitted black people, like libraries, and hospitals. So getting involved didn't seem so crazy! But as he and eight other students started their journey, things got out of hand. Mobs would form outside of the school, but because he was inside he didn't understand the intensity of it. He said that watching it on T.V. made it much more frightening. Eventually the safety of the students wavered so badly, the president had to send 1,000 paratroopers to help keep the students safe. Many students, who were segregationists, jumped out windows or stopped attending the school altogether to prove their points. There were even occasions when Ernest and the other students were called to the principles office and told they had to go home for their own safety. He said that the guards outside were having a hard time controlling the mob. All of this was so crazy to Ernest because inside the school everything was calm. The segregationists had already left the school, so the students left were generally kind. Ernest said that the fact that the students on the inside were usually kind, and that the teachers were supportive, and that it was peaceful on the inside of the school, made the concept that he was in danger difficult to grasp at times. But even though he was usually treated kindly by the students, segregationist would eventually start to pressure them to be cruel to the African American students. Ernest remember quite a few incidents that occurred at the school. He says that often times their lockers would be ram-shackled. "I'm sure the school board must have spent thousands of dollars just replacing our books." Other times the nine students would get phone calls with threats. He recalls a time where a student called one of the girls, and told them that they would be shot in the face with a water gun filled with acid and that they better watch out. Not to long after the call, Ernest was walking with a friend of his, and another student walked up to her and shot her in the face with the water gun. Even though the gun was filled with water, the scare alone was harassment enough. There was also a time when a friend of Ernest retaliated to a white harasser. The white student called his friend Minnie the n word repeatedly until finally she picked up the chili she had and dumped it on his head. Ernest said that people were extremely surprised because there wasn't a lot of retaliation, and they were almost considered stoic to everything going on. Minnie was suspended and eventually had to leave Little Rock to continue her education. Even though there was a lot of pain, and hardship, Ernest and all the others agree that it was worth it. He says that if he had to do it all over again, he wouldn't have done it any other way, and when he received his diploma he knew he wasn't just walking across that stage for himself, but some greater power.
http://digital.wustl.edu/e/eop/eopweb/gre0015.0329.043ernestgreen.html
Below: An interview with Ernest Green.
The Impact of Cooper vs. Aaron:
Back during the case study, there was a giant uproar about this. This case was incredibly impactful! There were mobs, and riots, and threats, and the United States' government had to get involved with this small town in Arkansas, all because nine African American students wanted to go to school. This also impacts the world today because it showed the power of the federal courts. It made it clear that the rules provided by the federal courts and the constitution are here to stay. Alex McBride says, "If Brown v. Board of Education provided the foundation for school integration in the 1950s and 1960s, Cooper v. Aaron provided the muscle. Though Cooper simply reiterated constitutional principles that were already accepted, the decision affirmed the power of the federal courts to enforce federal civil rights laws and court decisions against the states, and the primacy of the Supreme Court in defining what the Constitution requires." The courage and bravery of the nine students, and followers of integration will always have an impact on the way we remember The Civil Rights Movement.
Works Cited:
Google Images "Ernest Green"
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/democracy/landmark_cooper.html
Google Images "cooper vs aaron 1958"
http://digital.wustl.edu/e/eop/eopweb/gre0015.0329.043ernestgreen.html
Youtube "Ernest Green interview"