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Harry Kelm First Place Taught by Annette Simmons Roseville Area Middle School Human Ri�hts Essav Topic: Fifty years ago, federal troops were ordered into Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce the United States Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, requiring the integration of U.S. schools. The Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools were unconstitutional and did not provide equal education to all students. Human rights are defined as those basic standards without which people cannot live in dignity as human beings. Human rights cannot be tal�en away. No one has the right to deprive another person of them for any reason. Human rights are 'indivisible'. The first essay question is, did this Supreme �:�� Ruling put an end to segregation in U.S.? Since Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: Right to Education, NAACP lawyers questioned why black children should be bused past white schools in order to attend black schools. By the end of the 1940s they had evidence that black students were psychologically damaged when rejected from white schools. On May 17, 1954, the NAACP won its most important victory. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in the case of Brown v. Board of Education in Topeka that segregated schools were wrong because they stigmatized blacks. The Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools were unconstitutional and did not provide education to all students. Despite the Brown ruling, African Americans continued to have to overcome opposition to integrate. In response to the bad situation, the Little Rock mayor sent President Eisenhower a telegram basically saying the situation was out of control. He asked the president to tal�e action, At first, the president ignored the problem, but later realized that the situation really was on the verge of a catastrophe. So, President Eisenhower sent over 10,000 soldiers to ensure the African American students' peaceful enrollment. His plan worked. The students were admitted and attended classes. Although they had trouble with the racism and bigotry they encountered, they made it through school. Although education was opened for blacks, the Supreme Court did not end segregation all over the U.S.. Restaurants, and other social places continued to discriminate. The second Essay question is: What can you do to promote desegregation/integration in your school? Some things that you can do in your school are: • If you have a conflict, resolve it in a non-violent manner. (Article 3& 28) • Don't accuse someone of something unless you have proof of the fault. (Article 11) � Oppose discriminatory or demeaning actions, materials, or slurs in the schooL (Art. 2, 3, 7, 28, & 29) � Welcome all members of the school (staff and students) regardless of their background and cultures, including people not born in the U. S. (Article 2, 6,13, 14 & 15)