Daisy Bates
Introduction
Bates, as an Africa American, fought as an activist for civil rights. She as well as documented the fight to the end of segregation in Arkansas as a newspaper publisher. Her fight against this societal vice is documented in her book, known as the long shadow of little rock. She dies on November 4th, 1999, at little rock in Arkansas. She met a salesman, L.C. Bates, whom she married in 1942 three years after meeting. The two initiated their newspaper known as Arkansas state press. For her career as a social activist, she got various awards that include an honorary degree from the University of Arkansas. (Guzman, 14). She is one of the best known and remembered in guiding one of the greatest battles against school integration in the country’s history. Besides, the mother was killed while three years old by white men who intimidated her mentally and emotionally. Therefore, she committed to fighting racial injustices at an early age. Daisy Bates positively contributed to the civil rights movement and bore great results in the process.
Body
Daisy Bates’ contribution to the civil rights movement cannot get ignored, and this gets well illustrated through the various activities she carried out. She utilized her presidency at the national association for the advancement of people of color; the NAACP in 1952, the branch in Arkansas, played a key role in fighting segregation. Though the US supreme court in 1954 declared school segregation as unconstitutional in the case termed brown versus the board of education, Africa American scholars who tried enrollment in white schools in Arkansas were turned down.
However, with the help of her husband, Daisy had this evil chronicled in their newspaper. The newspaper was key in voicing the civil rights movement emerging issues. Through the press, police brutality on blacks got reported. Also, they expressed the result of the second world war veterans who did face discrimination after they returned from war. (Bair, 1-9). After the veterans came back, the NACCP membership grew, and Daisy becomes the leader. She physically took the children to the white public schools with the company of newspaper photographers who kept a record of any admission denials.
Besides, in 1957, 9 Africa American students were helped by Daisy to become the first ones to get admitted to the all-white middle-high school situated in little rock. These students were later termed as little rock nine. As they got to school on September 4th, the whites jeered them. The then Arkansas governor, Faubus Orval, sent a group of the state’s national guard to prevent them from getting into the school because the authorities had opposed school integration.
Despite all this kind of resistance, the schools were able to make it in their studies. From home, the headquarters to fight the integration at central high school were formulated. She acted as a supporter and personal advocate for these students. As a result, President Eisenhower Dwight got involved, and federal troops were ordered to get to the area and uphold the law and safeguard the nine students. (Newkirk, 248-267). Due to the provision of security, the students left Daisy’s home and attended school on September 25th that same year as their first day. Bate continued to give them support due to intimidation and harassment they got from people. Bates and other activists suffered constant harassment and arrests for the sake of the children. The nine students are a major aspect of civil rights movements.
Despite the many threats she got, she did not stop fighting for what is right. For instance, the newspaper she used to published got closed in 1959 due to low adverting revenues. In 1958, Martin Luther King Jr. elected her to the executive committee of his southern Christian leadership conference. This conference got the tasks of coordinating the acts of domestic protest groups throughout the South as supported by black churches. It encouraged blacks to seek justice in a non-violent manner. Besides, she served as the Mitchellville office of equal opportunity self-help project director. The program got tasked with the accountability of new sewer systems and water systems as well and paved streets and community centers. She also took part in the 1963 august 28t Washington march for jobs and freedom.
She was the only woman who spoke during the activity. As a result, President John F. Kennedy’s administration was forced to come up with powerful federal rights bills in congress. After this march, the leaders involved, including Bate, met with the president and the vice president Johnson B. Lyndon and deliberated on the bipartisan support for the civil rights legislature need. Even though they got passed after the president’s death, the civil rights act of 1964 provisions as well as those in the 1965 voting rights act, they illustrate the demands that were in the march. Her vision was always walking till they got free that walking till they could get their children to American schools. She also had an idea of sitting, kneeling, and lying if necessary to have the negros vote in America.
Besides, Bates served under President Johnson B. Lyndon’s administration under the democratic national committee in 1964 under the anti-poverty plans. The NACCP leadership and the admission of the nine students to the white school did many open doors to the negroes. It is so because this happened for the first time, a revolution that indeed did succeed without any doubt. (Gurtler, 23). Also, the fact that none got injured at school means a lot and shows great contributions. It is a revolution that Bates holds to heart because many black students could get admitted to the school. All this happened with less resistance or rather with no violence. As a woman, Daisy did not limit herself to the woman roles in the society or the freedom movement or rather any historical functions that historians associated with the black women participants.
She is greatly honored even after passing on because residential streets and schools are named after her in Arkansas. Besides, after the death, she is the only individual from the Africa American origin that has lied in the state at the Arkansas state capitol. Additionally, the country in honor of her, designated a day termed daisy Gaston bates day in memory of her. Also, her home is a historic place together with little rock nine monuments. Also, her story is documented in the mosaic templars’ cultural center, which explains the stories behind the African American culture and heritage. Besides, associated press termed her as the woman of that year; 1957 in education. Moreover, despite the continuous critic and harassment in the functions of her civil right, the present-day leaders and scholars throughout the globe greatly acknowledge her effect on the civil rights movement. In 2012, a documentary was produced about this great heroine.
Conclusion
Daisy played a critical role and contributed greatly to the fight against racial segregation. She withstood all the legal, physical, and economic intimidation to advocate for racial equality more in the school integration aspect in the public schools in Arkansas; little rock. The above illustrations indicate how selfless and relentless Daisy was in fighting racial inequality. Also, it should be noted that her efforts bore fruits, and the results are presented here as well.
The freedom and justice that the Africa Americans enjoy today should be attributed to Daisy and other civil rights activists. Indeed, officially she was just a woman who was a publisher, but her great contributions to the civil rights movements are amazing and encouraging. If she could do this as a woman despite the health, economic, and legal challenges, then even in modern times, we should do better as humans. As individuals, we should not relent in the fight for what we believe in because until we act, things will remain the same or even become worse.
Works Cited
Bair, Sarah. “The American Civil Rights Movement Reconsidered: Teaching the Role of Women.” Social Studies (2020): 1-9.
Gurtler, Bridget. “Daisy Bates.” Junctures in Women’s Leadership: Social Movements (2016): 23.
Guzman, Elizabeth. “Her-Story: The Forgotten Part of the Civil Rights Movement.” History in the Making 13.1 (2020): 14.
Newkirk, Anthony B. “The Long Reach of History” The Lorches and Little Rock, 1955-1959.” The Arkansas Historical Quarterly 76.3 (2017): 248-267.