Arkansas State press., 1957-09-20
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Letters Pouring in
Daily for Girl Who
Walked Il Alone

walked II Alone
Little did 15-year-old Elizabeth
Eekford know that the history
she was destined to make was
fan from that of a Negro girl
entering a school of her choice
when she waved goodbye to her
family and started out on a new
venture in her education, Septem-
Der 8.
Elizabeth was advised to come
to Central hi school on opening
day where me had been accepted
the week before by school au-
horities. With thoughts upper
most in her mind of preparing
herstlf for the future she had
dreamed of during her young ten
Der years. the state troopers sta
toned a block from the school
had no bearing on her as she
passed the barricade with little
cognizance Of their presence.
AS she approached the school
entrance, multiple number of
men dressed in uniform bearing
the insignia of the country that
she loved SO dearly, the country
that her her parents and their
parents before them had shout
dered arms to protect on foreign
soil. she knew everything was
all right. She felt uecure despite
a mob Of jeering and bowling
people surrounding her. She
knew she was an American eiti-
zen. and felt that the troops
were there TO protect her. 1t was
Rot until she found that her CAL
culation of the presence of the
troops had been misinterPeqted :
to her the troops We're there
to bar her entrance and to pro-
tect the mob. whose actions left
an indelible impression on her
memory that not time. but only
death will erase.
Elizabeth was a girl without a
country. A girl left alone in sta
ture, but not in spirit. She i'm
mediately became a symbol of
civilization all over the world.
Even with nerves shattered. apir-
it crushed. ambition lost in con-
fusion, she walked with dignity
before her strength forced her
down, where a kindly and moth
erly white woman, who remem-
bened that are all Gods child=
rem and offered protection to the
little girl, while indications point
out, before the mob could agree
as to what to do.
This innocent, but courageous
walk. has brought Elizabeth en-
couragement from all sections of
the globe. Letters are pouring
in daily, expressing regrets at the
humiliation, and expose to dan
ger that as an American citizen
she had to experience, simply be-
s5use she was a brownskinned
girl trying to carve a name for
herself in the history of her
country. These letters assure Eli
zabeth that if her native state
cannot recognize her as a citizen,
thai in the eyes Of the world
she will be revered in the history
of the world long after her enc
mics have BEEN dead and for
gotten.
One OF the thousands of letters
received by Miss Eckford pub-
1ished here:
Brazilian Detective Bureau
Private Investigations
New York 20, N. Y.
September IA, 1857
Senorita Elizabeth Eedord
Post Office Box No. 2179
Little Rock, Arkansas
Dear Senorita;
You ara a very brave little girl.
l pray that God will protect you
alwaga Even if the officials and
laws of your State do not. II you
were in the State of New York
where have the authority to do
so. / would furnish you free OF
charge my full staff OF over two
hundred Private Detectives or
armed body guards to see that
you are protected from every
one. And when I say every one,
l mean every one.
What those stupid people don't
know Is that every decent Ameri-
can now has to hang his or her
head in shame. The people Of all
the other Countries have read
the headlines.
Remember my child, those SO.
called humans who mistreateo
you are so low that they have &c
look up to be able to see down
While you had the grace OF 9
Queen with your calm and dig
~,if;os h.ahavior In the face Of