Democracy in Action | BRI Jr. | Constitution Day 2025
Democracy in Action explores how the Constitution has guided Americans from its writing in 1787 to pivotal moments in history. From the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education to Elizabeth Eckford’s courageous walk as part of the Little Rock Nine, this story highlights how individuals have lived out the Constitution’s principles of equality and justice.
0:00 In 1787, leaders gathered to write the Constitution, and it begins with three important words. We the people. Americans have used the Constitution to guide them, sometimes in everyday ways and sometimes in big history making moments. One of those moments happened in 1957, after the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v
0:23 Board of Education that segregated schools were unconstitutional. 15 year old Elizabeth Eckford tried to enter Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was a part of the little Rock nine. The group consisted of Elizabeth and eight other African American students who enrolled in the all white high school.
0:44 When Elizabeth walk to school that morning, she faced angry crowds yelling at her telling her to leave. But Elizabeth kept walking step by step, holding her head high. She didn’t shout back and she didn’t give up. Elizabeth didn’t make it inside the school that day. The governor had ordered soldiers to block her.
1:04 But the story didn’t end there. President Eisenhower sent federal troops to protect Elizabeth and the other students, and together, the little Rock nine showed the country that the Constitution’s promise of equality had to be defended. Because of Brown v board. You don’t have to fight for the right to go to the same school as everyone else.
1:25 But like Elizabeth, you can still make a difference by standing up for fairness and living out the Constitution’s principles. Every time you choose to uphold the principles and virtues that inform the design of the Constitution, you are better able to protect and advance opportunity for all.
