By 1955, however, white opposition in the South had grown into massive resistance, a strategy to persuade all whites to resist compliance with the desegregation orders. Many groups believed that if enough white people refused to cooperate and/or were able to persuade enough white people to ignore the federal court order, it could not be enforced. Tactics included firing school employees who showed willingness to seek integration, closing public schools rather than desegregating, and boycotting all public education that was integrated. There were many white groups that formed and led opposition to school desegregation all over the South. The Citizens Council called for economic coercion of blacks that favored integrated schools, such as firing them from jobs, and the creation of private, all-white schools. Little Rock was no exception to these discriminatory actions.
There were incidents throughout the book that had an effect on me. Looking back at the people of Little Rock, who called themselves Christians, why did they not see what they were doing was contrary to their beliefs and the Bible. Pillars of the community, law-abiding citizens, and their children took to the streets in protest of these nine black students that just wanted an education.
How did Governor Faubus disobey a federal order, an act that the president of the United States didn't understand himself, and why wasn't he removed from office? Why didn't congress take action against Governor Faubus? After the governor called out the National Guard to keep the nine blacks from entering Central High, president Eisenhower finally had to take action against the governor for violating their rights. To Eisenhower it was unthinkable for a state governor to defy a federal court order. "There must be respect for the Constitution,"" he explained, " "which means the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Constitution "or we shall have chaos.
