[ Central High School ]
One of the most moving historic sites in Little Rock deals with racial relations and school desegregation, issues that still affect today’s students. Central High School has become a popular visitor attraction after garnering attention as the site of a standoff over racial segregation during the 1957-1958 school year.
During the controversial school year, nine African-American students braved angry mobs, National Guard troops and media scrutiny to attend Central High, which had been an all-white school up until the Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. Today, a visit to the school gives groups a fascinating look at issues of race and segregation, as well as the courageous young people who broke barriers in Little Rock.
In 2007, Central High became a national park, and it now has a visitors center and park rangers that lead tours of the high school. The main building is also an active public high school with more than 2,600 Little Rock students.
