Days of Courage

Days of Courage describes the experiences of the “Little Rock Nine”, the first African American students to begin the integration of schools in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957.

In 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously declared in a landmark court case, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, that it was unconstitutional to create separate schools for children on the basis of race.

In 1957, the Brown decision affected citizens of Little Rock, Arkansas, when nine African American students chose to attend the previously all-white Little Rock Central High School. For months, the attention of the state, nation, and world were turned to Arkansas and the heroic efforts of nine teenage students and local civil rights leaders as they fought for equality in central Arkansas’ educational system. The desegregation, which officially occurred under federal troop protection on September 25, 1957, set a precedent for many other communities and states to follow.

Richard Kelso is a published author and an editor of several children’s books. Some of his published credits include: Days of Courage: The Little Rock Story (Stories of America), Building A Dream: Mary Bethune’s School (Stories of America) and Walking for Freedom: The Montgomery Bus Boycott (Stories of America).

Mel Williges is a published author and illustrator of children’s books. Some of his published credits include: Days of Courage: The Little Rock Story (Stories of America) and I Am a Thief (Hardcover).

Alex Haley, as General Editor, wrote the introduction.