Integration and Segregation

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In the book “Redefining the Color Line”, the author John A. Kirk gives an in depth look into what life was like for people of Arkansas before and during the integration process. The book also discusses the “Little Rock Nine” and their trials and tribulations leading up and during the integration into Central High School. Kirk has three main points that he wants his readers to understand. The first being how important the black activists’ roles were from 1940-1970, the second is how the black activists played a role in Little Rock, and third Kirk wants his readers to understand the “black struggle that unfolded over three decades” in Little Rock schools.
The author John Kirk starts out by explaining what life was like in Little Rock before the 1940’s for blacks, their world was segregated in all aspects. Kirk points out that the African American population did not receive fair pay as compared to their white counter-parts doing the same work. Kirk states that the leaders in Little Rock took a modest approach in combating the segregation, they did not protest. Kirk also points out that the NAACP didn’t make things any better; instead they only compounded the problem. “Compounding these problems was the NAACP’s continued lack of interest in the state, which denied Arkansas blacks a possible antidote to the stagnation of local black leadership” (pg.25). The ANDA and CNO were the first two organizations to really make a push for equality, The ANDA fought to get Black Democrats the right to vote during the primary elections, they won their case. The CNO was created by William Flowers in order to “encourage black participation in the political process” (pg.27). Kirk says “the success of Flowers and the CNO was the inc...

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...r role as an activist and a spokesperson for the blacks of Little Rock. The NAACP started to get attacked all around the south “whites believe that if the could put a stop to NAACP activities, they could put an end to agitation for change” (pg.138). Due to this harassment the NAACP involvement was cut severely by 1960.
Even though blacks reached success in fighting for equality “ Blacks could not rest until they had fully realized the goal of freedom and equality in Arkansas” (pg.184). The struggle continued and did not end in 1970; it carried on for many more years. In the end “The black community was simply no longer prepared to accept second-class citizenship and was ready to take a stand for what the people believe to be rightfully theirs” (pg.184). Kirk does a marvelous job of showing the side of Arkansas that we seem to forget or not even know about.

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