Essay: Nonviolent Protest

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Eyes on the Prize Essay
Nonviolence during protest is a well-known tactic that has been used throughout various periods in world history. One of the more notable times when this tactic was utilized is during the Civil Rights era. Movement leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Ralph Abernathy, and Rosa Parks stressed the importance of not fighting violence with violence. This tactic is no more visible than in the PBS award winning series Eyes on the Prize. The two historical peaceful protest used by the series include the Little Rock Nine who integrated public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas and James Meredith the first African American student to integrate the University of Mississippi better known as Ole Miss. The nonviolent protest took …show more content…

The Little Rock Nine were the first on display in Eyes on the Prize and this group had a daunting task ahead of them. These nine African American students both male and female would have the distinct honor of integrating Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. They arrived at school that morning like any student would but what they were met with when they got there was nothing short of unexplainable. The new students were met by the Arkansas National Guard, local law enforcement, and angry locals who didn’t want them to attend Central High School. This blockade started by then governor Orval Faubus caused a stir not only locally but nationally as well. This blatant defiance by the governor to allow the students to attend the school forced President Dwight Eisenhower to send U.S. troops to protect and allow these students to enter Central High. This was a victory and step towards racial equality but it had its pros and cons. The students were ultimately able to get and education but one wasn’t able to finish at Central High because she had gotten into and altercation with one of the white males at school. Along with this there was a lot of hatred towards the decision to integrate which made the experience and the school very unhealthy