Elizabeth Eckford and Courage: Heroes & Villains
Why is individual courage necessary for the success of the larger community or civil society? Explore the story of Elizabeth Eckford in this video feature of BRI's Heroes and Villains Curriculum to help determine how she exhibited the virtue of courage.
Heroes and Villains uses narratives to discuss the concepts of civic virtue in all classrooms. Each virtue narrative includes corresponding discussion guides, journal templates, a toolbox with additional activities, and suggestions for further reading on each topic or virtue.
0:07 Courage. It’s the ability to take constructive action in the face of fear or danger. When embraced, this virtue allows citizens to stand firm and do what is right, especially when unpopular or risky. This is the story of Elizabeth Eckford, a 15 year old student
0:27 whose courageous spirit challenged segregation. On September 4th, 1957, Elizabeth got ready to go to school in Arkansas. That may not seem like such a courageous thing, but Little Rock High School was until recently, an all white school and Elizabeth’s attendance angered many protesters who were determined to stop her.
0:51 The U.S. Supreme Court had declared racial segregation in schools unconstitutional three years earlier in the case of Brown versus Board of Education. The ruling met widespread opposition from white people who defended segregation. But leaders of the school district integrated the school by enrolling Elizabeth and eight other black students who came to be known as the Little Rock Nine.
1:14 The plan for the first day: they would meet at a prearranged location and be accompanied by police to school for their safety. But Elizabeth and her family did not have a phone, so she didn’t get the call to meet. Instead, Elizabeth made her way to school on the bus alone, and when she arrived, she was faced with a barrage of hateful protesters.
1:35 Yet Elizabeth showed the courage to persist. Twice, she tried to enter, but at each door, the armed Arkansas National Guard, who she thought were there to help her instead blocked her way. Two weeks passed before the Little Rock nine tried again, but this time the police removed them for their own safety. On September 24th, President Eisenhower dispatched
1:58 federal troops, the 101st Airborne, to protect the Little Rock Nine. Elizabeth and the other students’ courage paid off and the school was integrated. In a constitutional republic, it takes courage to protect the common good and the rights of individuals, often in the face of danger or difficulty: pursuing justice, equality, and liberty for all Americans.
2:23 How might you show courage for a just society?
