Little Rock

After spending the morning in Hot Springs, I drove an hour north to Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas. My first stop was historic Central High School, followed by visits to the state capitol grounds and the William J. Clinton Presidential Library.

Central High School

Central High School is where President Dwight Eisenhower sent federal troops in 1957 to enforce a court order demanding desegregation. The Little Rock Nine, as they came to be known, were nine African-American students who heroically endured violent mobs outside the school and racial hostilities once they finally made it inside, escorted by paratroopers from the 101st Airborne Division.

When a federal court ruled that the school must be integrated, segregationist Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus stationed National Guard troops outside and told the African-American students to stay away or else “blood [would] run in the streets.” Eisenhower attempted to persuade Faubus to allow the black students to enter, but when the Faubus refused to remove the National Guard and the mob protesting integration became violent, Eisenhower felt he had no choice but to send in the army with the eyes of the nation and the world watching.

The National Park Service runs a visitor center and museum kitty-corner to the school, recounting the events that transpired there. A few of the exhibits moved me to tears, I think because the incomprehensible school violence the nation had witnessed only two days earlier in Newtown, Connecticut.

One quote, in particular, accompanied by a stark black and white photo, made my eyes well up with emotion. It came from Elizabeth Eckford, one of the Little Rock Nine. “I tried to see a friendly face somewhere in the mob--someone who maybe would help,” she had said. “I looked into the face of an old woman and it seemed a kind face, but when I looked at her again, she spat on me.” How could strangers be so hateful and cruel towards such innocent young people merely seeking an education and equality?

The school itself looks a like a gothic fortress, grand but also sinister. It’s still a functioning high school and, for this reason, is not open to the public. I wandered the grounds, ending my tour at the school’s main doors. Looking out on the grounds, I tried to envision what it would have been like 55 years ago when thousands protested educating different races under the same roof and armed soldiers blocked the doors. I’m thankful we have progressed beyond that ugly time in our history.

Arkansas State Capitol

After visiting Central High, I drove a few short miles to the state capitol on the western edge of downtown Little Rock. It is closed on Saturdays and Sundays--I was there on a Sunday afternoon--but the capitol’s exterior and its heavy golden doors were still an impressive sight.

Clinton Presidential Library

My final stop before I continued north to Jackson, Tennessee for the night was the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. It is the second presidential library I’ve visited, the LBJ Presidential Library at the University of Texas being the first. Much like the national parks, I hope to one day visit them all.

The Clinton Library is a boxy glass and steel structure on the banks of the Arkansas River. The design is meant to evoke a bridge. President Clinton selected it for this reason; he viewed his presidency as the bridge between the 20th and 21st centuries. I suppose it technically was.

Only three percent of the his administration’s archives actually reside in the library. The rest are stored elsewhere. It is primarily a museum--with two exhibit floors--and event center. The first exhibit floor features eight large panels, each one dedicated to a year of his presidency. The second includes various objects from his time in office, including gifts from other heads of state.

On the first exhibit floor, I was particularly interested in what the panel for 1998 had to say about the Monica Lewinsky scandal. As far as I can tell, there’s not a single mention of Lewinksy in the library’s exhibits. All the panel says about the matter is this:

“It was also a year when the President acknowledged making a serious mistake in his personal life, misleading both his family and the country. Adversaries, who opposed his policy agenda, used his personal failing to try to destroy his presidency, culminating in the second impeachment in American history. Yet like every other politically motivated investigation of the President during the 1990s, it led nowhere. The Senate eventually voted to acquit the President.”

This struck me as overly simplistic and self-serving (understandably though--it’s his presidential library) but I enjoyed visiting the library all the same. I especially liked a series of portraits of President Clinton drawn by school children, a collection of some of his saxophones, and a recreation of the Oval Office during Clinton's presidency.

The library also has space for other events and other exhibitions. There’s currently a Lego sculpture exhibit including a fanciful Lego cloud hanging from the ceiling. And in an attached auditorium, a stage was being prepared with a large sign, which somewhat ironically read: “A Focus on Women.”