The Little Rock Nine: 50 Years Later

In 1957, the Little Rock Nine set out to integrate Central High School, and were turned away by the Arkansas National Guard. Seven of them describe that day and its aftermath.

To acknowledge the fifty-year anniversary of the integration of Little Rock’s Central High School, the New York Times interviewed participants in this key event in the evolution of U.S. civil rights. This project is a fine example of what can be done with elegant portrait photography paired with short, solid interviews of subjects who lived the story. Each audio interview is about a minute or two long. We learn of their fear, the daily abuse of these students, why they stayed instead of quitting, how it impacted their lives.

Photography and Interviews: Oscar Hidalgo

Producer: Tom Jackson and Amy O’Leary

VIEW: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2007/10/01/us/20071001_LITTLEROCK_GRAPHIC.html