On this day in 1957 nine black students who had enrolled at an all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas arrived at their first day of school confronted by mobs of angry people, including screaming students, and organized protesters like The Capital Citizens Council and the Mother’s League of Central High School.
Three years earlier, the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional in its Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision. For Arkansas, which had not yet started integrating its students, this was a test of the Supreme Court ruling.
Finally, after navigating through the spectacle of hatred outside of the school they neared the school doors to see the Arkansas National Guard, who were there under orders by Governor Orval Faubus to prevent the children from entering Central High. By the end of the month and with further court actions and orders from President Eisenhower, the Arkansas National Guard was called off and the nine children were able enter the school with police escorts. As a result, the state began the process of integrating their public schools.
The first nine African Americans at Central High endured years of verbal and physical abuse in exchange for their courage for helping desegregate the State of Arkansas. Their names are: Minnijean Brown, Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest Green, Thelma Mothershed, Melba Patillo, Gloria Ray, Terrence Roberts, Jefferson Thomas, and Carlotta Walls. Before walking alone into the crowds, they were vetted for their determination and strength by the NAACP. In 1999, all nine were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their courage and determination in helping end segregation in Southern schools.
Music Du Jour:
For a great song list of Spotify protest songs, go here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6rbmYt3cMGLXsYNotjpFGH
Recent podcasts you’ll appreciate:
The Little Rock Nine: The History and Legacy of the Struggle to Integrate Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas after Brown v. Board of Education | Listen to Podcasts On Demand Free | TuneIn
Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast: Being “Irrepressible” with Little Rock Nine Member Minnijean Brown-Trickey (2023) on Apple Podcasts
Film Du Jour:
Watch the award-winning documentary, Nine from Little Rock, on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Nine-Little-Rock-Charles-Guggenheim/dp/B01EIXD2JK
Snacks Du Jour:
LifeHacker recommends the following for snacks to take to a protest: small oranges, granola/nut/protein bars, dried fruit, trail mix, individual tubes of nut butter, packs of crackers or cookies, fruit snacks, jerky or meat sticks, chocolate-covered espresso beans and gummy candy. Also, in honor of the period, you could add Moon Pies, Mary Janes, Good & Plenty, or Zagnut Bars.
Cocktail Du Jour – The Sacrifice
This cocktail was designed by Deputy Dave at Three Brothers Distillery in Disputanta, VA in honor of all recipients of the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor.
⦁ 1 oz dark rum
⦁ 1 oz light rum
⦁ 0.5 oz white crème de cacao
⦁ 1 tsp coconut cream
⦁ 2 oz pineapple juice
⦁ 1 oz cranberry juice
⦁ 1 oz orange juice
⦁ 2 dashes orange bitters
⦁ 1 cup crushed ice
Pour the ingredients into a blender and blend at high speed until smooth. Pour into a Collins glass. Garnish with a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry.
Mocktail Du Jour – The Sacrifice Mocktail
Same as recipe above but substitute the light and dark rum for 2 oz. of for Ritual Zero Proof Rum and substitute the crème de cacao for Torani White Chocolate Syrup.
Beer Du Jour
Anheuser-Busch held 50% of the U.S. market share in 1957. Any of these same old labels are still going strong and may be consumed today with our mind’s eye on the autumn of ‘57: Budweiser, Busch, Michelob, and Rolling Rock (brewed since 1939 and purchased by A-B in 2006).
Wine Du Jour
Popular California wines were marketed across the U.S. in the 1950s as: California Sauternes (Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon); California Burgundies (Pinot Noir and Gamay), and; several sweet varieties including Port, Sherry, and Muscatel.
Use freshly squeezed citrus in your cocktails and mocktails when called for – It makes such a difference! Here’s a reliable and inexpensive juicer.
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© 2023, The Beverage Du Jour, TRH Online, LLC. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. “Detail of Photo of Little Rock Nine with Central High School Building at Rear – Little Rock – Arkansas – USA” by Adam Jones, Ph.D. – Global Photo Archive is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
