North Little Rock High School

The Art-Deco North Little Rock High School building was constructed back in 1930, and was designed by noted architect George Mann (who also designed Little Rock Central High and the Arkansas State Capitol). I have a strong connection to the school - my Grandparents were students there and became high school sweethearts while attending the same class. I followed their footsteps a few decades later, and graduated from here in 1997 (go Charging Wildcats!). 

The school had a major role to play in history, albeit one that is mostly forgotten now. In 1957, North Little Rock attempted to desgregate their schools by having six African-American students enroll at the previously all-white NLR High. But this all occurred at the exact same time as the crisis at Little Rock Central High School, where the Arkansas governor called out the National Guard to prevent that school from being desegregated. In response to the governor's efforts at Central High, the NLR School Board voted to postpone their integration plans. 

Undaunted, the six African-American students (Richard Lindsey, Gerald Persons, Harold Smith, Eugene Hall, Frank Henderson, and William Henderson), still decided to show up on September 9 for the first day of school. They were greeted by a crowd of white students who pushed and shoved them as they tried to walk up the steps. They were ultimately blocked from entering the school by a mass of white students and segregationists. The NLR Six were then instructed by the School Superintendant F. Bruce Wright to enroll instead at Scipio Jones High School, the city's African-American high school. The Superintendant told them that "I don’t think integration will work at this time, judging from the temperament of the crowd.” The North Little Rock schools would not be desegregated until 1964, when eight African-American students were admitted to two all-white elementary schools. 

 

I grew up in North Little Rock, but never heard about the NLR Six until a few years ago. It was not something that I ever learned about it in school, even if it occurred just outside of the room where I had attended American History classes. 

The old 1930 Art-Deco building stayed in use until 2016, when a brand-new school building was constructed right by the old one. So the halls and lockers and classrooms of the old building are silent and empty now. The city had a difficult time finding a usage for the old building. Because it is located next to an active school, access would be limited (so no apartments) and there were other limitations (you can't smoke or drink alcohol on the property). But a few months ago they decided to use the building as administrative offices and to use some of the classrooms for a "Center of Excellence." As a NLRHS alumni, I'm very grateful the building will be preserved.