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“I have a constitutional duty and obligation from which I shall not shrink.”

Judge Ronald Davies – September 7th, 1957

The Road to Little Rock
“The Road to Little Rock” tells the courageous story of one visionary judge and nine determined teenagers who demonstrated enduring positive human qualities of courage, honor, determination, and responsibility.  This story begins in 1957 as nine African-American teenagers sought enrollment at an all-white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas.  In 1957 many school districts continued to ignore the 1954 Supreme Court ruling of Brown v Board of Education which declared that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.

The story features a number of never seen before interviews with three members of the Little Rock Nine and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.  It blends interviews with archival footage and primary source documentation to tell the story of the events which led to the integration of Central High School.

You will witness the courage and determination demonstrated by the “Little Rock Nine” who sought to attend the high school of their choice.  You will be introduced to Federal Judge Ronald Davies, from Fargo, North Dakota, who followed the law, ignored political pressure and required the school district in Little Rock to integrate “forthwith”. The ruling by Judge Davies provided great urgency for the desegregation of public schools. The actions of these individuals would change the course of public school education in the United States.