Often we read the news and feel sad and confused, but today when I read the story of the first black enrolled students at Florida State University I felt a deep amount of gratitude.
Unlike many southern universities, Florida State University opened its doors to black students without any resistance or violence. I can remember videos of United States armed officials escorting the Little Rock Nine to and from school. The night before school was supposed to start Arkansas Florida States history tells a different tale.
Speaking of telling tales, Maya Angelou will be a guest speaker at the event.
On September 2nd, the night before school was to start, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus called out the state’s National Guard to surround Little Rock Central High School and prevent any black students from entering in order to protect citizens and property from possible violence by protesters he claimed were headed in caravans toward Little Rock.
A federal judge granted an injunction against the Governor’s use of National Guard troops to prevent integration and they were withdrawn on September 20.
When school resumed on Monday, September 23, Central High was surrounded by Little Rock policemen. About 1,000 people gathered in front of the school. The police escorted the nine black students to a side door where they quietly entered the building as classes were to begin. When the mob learned the blacks were inside, they began to challenge the police and surge toward the school with shouts and threats. Fearful the police would be unable to control the crowd, the school administration moved the black students out a side door before noon.
U.S. Congressman Brooks Hays and Little Rock Mayor Woodrow Mann asked the federal government for help, first in the form of U.S. marshals. Finally, on September 24, Mann sent a telegram to President Eisenhower requesting troops. They were dispatched that day and the President also federalized the entire Arkansas National Guard, taking it away from the Governor.
On September 25, 1957, the nine black students entered the school under the protection of 1,000 members of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army.
llenges for those first students, said President Eric J. Barron. Because of their courageous efforts, tens of thousands of students of all races and ethnicities have made Florida State the great institution it is today.
“It is important that we honor our past and that we never let the story of the integration movement at Florida State slip from the pages of history,” Barron said. “The pioneering African-American students who were admitted in the 1960s helped to lead a transformation of Florida State over the next 50 years. Today, we are a world-class research institution that attracts a diverse population of the best and brightest students who graduate to become highly successful alumni.”
Nearly 73% of black students now graduate from Florida State within six years, a rate that exceeds the (Florida) State University System by more than 20 percentage points and the national average by 17 percentage points. Florida State currently ranks third among top public research institutions in the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to black students. The Survey of Earned Doctorates also has ranked Florida State among the top 15 institutions in the nation for the number of black students earning doctoral degrees.
“The legacy that the first black students began here in 1962 is one that definitely creates a sense of community and a sense of diversity on our campus today,” said Kiaira McCoy, a Florida State University senior and director of the Black Student Union. “Without their brave acts, it wouldn’t be possible for me to be here today.”
The first black student enrolled in 1962, and the first black Ph.D. candidates graduated in 1970. Programs in African American Studies and Women’s Studies were established. Continuing the liberal arts tradition begun in the 1890’s, the Liberal Studies Program required of all undergraduates was expanded and strengthened.
“This is truly a university and community commemoration that links the past, present and future,” said Liz Maryanski, vice president for University Relations. “We are proud of the collaboration and interest in this opportunity to recognize the contributions of so many during the past 50 years.”
